CHCPC will be delivering Meals on Wheels on April 21. Our next Habitat for Humanity Workday is April 12. See the sign-up sheets for both events in the Commons Area.
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Children's Ministry Happenings
Sunday School: All children 6th grade and below are invited to attend Sunday school each Sunday at 10:00 AM. We will offer four classes for various age groups: 2-3 year-olds will meet in the Nursery, Pre-K-Kindergarten will meet in Scripture Tent (upper level across from the Nursery), 1st-3rd graders will meet in Creation Station (lower level across from the Youth Room), & 4th-6th graders will meet in the Youth Room (lower level).
Schedule:
April 6th PreK-K: Saul to Paul; 1st-3rd: Pool of Siloam; 4th-6th: Healing
April 13th: PreK-K: Holy Week; 1st-3rd: Holy Week; 4th-6th: Teaching
April 20th: No Sunday school
April 27th: PreK-K: Empty Tomb; 1st-3rd: Empty Tomb; 4th-6th: Rewind: Jesus's Ministry
May 4th: No Sunday school (Music Sunday)
Children's Church: All children 3rd grade and below are invited to join Stephanie and a parent volunteer for Children's Church each Sunday following the children's message during the 11:00 AM service. Each week we will explore a bible story, have time for a fun activity, sing a song or two, and say a prayer. April 27th will be the last children's church until the fall.
Wednesday Nights @ Cedar Heights: Come out for an evening of fun and fellowship each Wednesday from 6:00pm-7:30 PM! We will meet for a shared meal from 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM with kids' activities and our parents' group starting after the meal. If your family is willing to help make a meal, please contact Eric or Janelle. Children 3rd grade & below will enjoy a bible story and fun activity with Janelle, while the 4th-5th graders have adventures with Stephanie!
Wednesday Nights @ Cedar Heights- Year End Celebration: Join us on the evening of April 30th at 6:00 PM for a family picnic. The location is to be determined. Watch the Sunday bulletins and all church emails for updates. Hot dogs, hamburgers, and drinks will be provided. Please plan to bring a dessert or side to share. We'll enjoy a fun evening of food and games.
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Jr. High (6th-8th Graders)
Youth Group: We meet from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Bring your friends and join us for a good time of fellowship, faith, and fun.
UNI Concession Stand Fundraiser: Anyone heading to Great Escape (parents and students) are welcome to help with a concession stand at UNI on Friday April 4th. It is an all-day event and we will be partnering with the Intramurals Department. Pastor Eric will send available time slots by email. There will be afternoon and evening spots available.
Sr. High(9th-12th Graders)
Sr. High Fellowship: We will meet from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM each Sunday in the youth room. Bring your friends and join us for a good time of fellowship, faith, and fun.
Maundy Thursday Worship Leaders: Please join Eric and several young people from First Presbyterian Church of Cedar Falls in providing leadership for our Maundy Thursday worship service. The service will have a mixture of dialogue and monologue pieces. We will rehearse at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday afternoons at 4:30 PM on April 6th & April 13th.
Summer Mission Trip Team Meeting: All students participating in the summer mission trip should plan to be at our second team meeting Sunday, April 13th at 6:00 PM in the Youth Room.
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Morning Prayer: Lent is a wonderful season to explore new disciplines, practices, and avenues for spiritual growth. Join Pastor Eric each Sunday morning at 8:15 AM in Brinkerhoff lounge for morning prayers. We will use a simple liturgy from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals as our guide. Each week will provide space to hear God's voice in scripture & silence, as well as provide opportunities to give voice to joys and concerns.
Adult Forum: During the month of April, Pastor Eric will lead a discussion of Sara Miles's book Jesus Freak: Feeding Healing Raising the Dead. Join us for discussion around Sara's beautiful articulation of the Christian faith and life as she has experienced it through worship, service, and relationship.
Schedule:
April 6th: Lenten Book Discussion: Jesus Freak by Sara Miles
April 13th: Lenten Book Discussion: Jesus Freak by Sara Miles
April 20th: No Adult Forum- Easter Brunch
April 27th: No Adult Forum
Oxygen: Join this group of adults for a lively, refreshing, and renewing conversation. It is a little time on Sunday morning to reconnect and recharge. We are currently watching and discussing short films by Christian leader and popular author, Rob Bell.
Men's Bible Study: Meets weekly at the Cedar Falls Panera on Friday mornings at 7:00 AM for a time of bible study and fellowship led by Pastor Eric. This month we will continue studying lectionary passages. Please contact Eric with any questions.
Women's Circle Bible Study: Women's Circle Bible Study will meet Thursday, April 24 at 1:00 PM. This is open to all women. We are using the Horizon's Bible Study-An Abiding Hope: The Presence of God in Exodus and Deuteronomy.
Women's Book Club: Come join our Women's Book Club that meets at the church on the second Thursday of each month at 9:30 AM. On April 10, we will discuss Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger.
May 8, 2014 - Boo, Katherine - Behind the Beautiful Forevers
Where Moms Connect: Moms come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing's for sure- all moms need to connect with other moms! Where Moms Connect is a unique curriculum that brings women together and helps them connect naturally, through faith-based discussion, and fun. No matter where a mom is on her journey, she's welcome at Where Moms Connect. Each one-hour session includes insights on the day's topic, small-group discussion time, Bible insights, and practical ideas to apply what's learned. Any questions, contact Janelle Darst at 319-231-2435 or [email protected]. We will meet the third Saturday of each month: April 19, May 17.
"When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours." (Romans 1:12)
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Easter Egg Hunt
For 3rd Grade and Under
(parents and grandparents please read)
It is time to have some Easter fun! On Easter Sunday at 10:40, it will be time to line up for the annual CHCPC Easter Egg Hunt! Be here at 10:00 to enjoy brunch and then look for Pastor Eric to announce it is time to line up at designated hunting areas. As soon as everyone has found a hunting area, a bell will ring and the hunting will begin! There will be fourth through sixth grade helpers for the little ones, so if you want to hang back and get that perfect Easter picture, please do! The designated areas are:
One year olds and under - Nursery
Kindergarten and under - Playground (if weather permits) or the two Sunday School rooms upstairs
First grade through Third Grade - On the east lawn (if weather permits) or the Youth Room
*Bags will be provided; please empty the contents of eggs into bags and leave the eggs in the boxes provided in the Commons Area so eggs may be reused next year.
For 4th- 6th grade
Our fourth through sixth graders are invited to be helpers to our littlest hunters. Last year, you all did a fabulous job making sure that the hunters found the eggs and helped them empty the prizes into their bags. We need your help again! If you are in fourth, fifth, or sixth grade and would like to help, please let Pastor Eric know. Same as last year, helpers will receive a special bag as well.
Adults
We would love to have your help in any area, whether helping organize kids in the different areas, helping collect eggs at the end, or filling bags. Please let Julie Book or Pastor Eric know. If you took home eggs to fill, please return them ASAP! Thank you!!
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One Great Hour of Sharing
The fish banks are back! Children were given fish banks on the 1st Sunday of Lent in worship to collect money over the time of Lent. On Palm Sunday, the congregation will join in the stewardship of the children as all are welcome to contribute to a special offering and the fish banks are returned. The money collected will go to Presbyterian Missions such as Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People.
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Music Notes from Sue Feltman, Director of Music
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Recently, I have re-visited articles regarding congregational singing. Here is an excerpt from one:
"C.S. Lewis believed singing completes our faith, explaining in his book Reflections on thePsalms, 'I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.'"
Our corporate responsibility before God and to each other is to sing together. Throughout Scripture, the command to sing is given to God's people more than 400 times. Ephesians 5:19 instructs believers to address one another in "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." Week after week, we are spiritually renewed, realigned, and sanctified by singing to the Lord and singing to each other as the body of Christ.
"One of our callings as believers is to work heartily at whatever we do, as for the Lord and not people." (Five Ways to Improve Congregational Singing - Keith and Kristyn Getty)
As we journey through Lent and approach the miracle of Easter, let's heartily join our voices together on the hymns and responses and praise songs, remembering that we are singing to an audience of One.
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April music schedule:
April 6: 9:00 AM, Women sing "Amazing Grace"
April 13: Palm Sunday at 9:00 AM, Children sing "Little Grey Donkey"
April 16: Wednesday: First Presbyterian Choir joins us for Good Friday rehearsal. No Worship Band rehearsal.
April 18: Good Friday at 7:00 PM, Worship service at Cedar Heights. Combined musicians from First Presbyterian and Cedar Heights.
April 19: Saturday: Worship Band rehearsal. Time to be determined.
April 20: Easter at 9:00 AM, Metropolitan Brass Quintet, Sanctuary Choir; 11:15 Worship Band
Looking ahead to May: May 4 will be a combined 10:00 service to celebrate Music Sunday.
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Interim Pastor's Note ~ Dr. D. Jay Losher
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In April, we will hear the words "Jesus is not dead. He is raised!!" Our Lenten fast will end with the glorious words: "He is risen!! Alleluia!" Our own voices will join the chain of voices back two thousand years announcing the wonder of resurrection, of life beyond this life, of life for the ages freely offered to us.
We join our voices with Mary of Magdala's and the myriads of others through all the ages who invite everyone to "Come and see" what God has done in Jesus, and then to "Go and tell" the Good News beyond all good news to every person.
For us to be ready to fully appreciate and celebrate Jesus being raised from death to life, for us to be able to accept the offer of life in exchange for our deathly fate, we should complete our commitment to see Lent through to the end. Lent is for Listening. If you haven't yet read my poem sermon entitled "Lent is for Listening," it can be found in the Presbyterian Outlook, or more conveniently on the link below:
http://drdjaylosher.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/lent-is-for-listening.pdf
Lent is indeed for listening. Let us complete this season of preparation so we may receive with open hearts and fresh understanding the great Good News of "He is risen. Jesus is alive."
In Jesus' service,
Pastor Jay
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Associate Pastor's Note ~ Rev. Eric Sunderland
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Dear Friends,
A colleague of mine recently shared this pearl of wisdom she received as she prepared to move to Iowa: "Get ready for Easter to take on a whole new meaning!"
There are so many signs of God's new and growing life in our congregation. Two immediately come to mind: Our mission committee has issued a challenge to the congregation to record 1,000 hours of volunteer service out in our community. We know many of us already spend time meeting the needs of our neighbors. We want to name that good work as part of our participation in God's on going mission of love and transformation in our world. So consider the ways you are active beyond the walls of our congregation and don't forget to tell us about it by filling out a slip and dropping it in the basket in the Commons Area.
The second is the infusion of joy and spirit our children and young people provide. It is often tempting to look at our children as the future of the church. While, they may be that, they are the church here and now, as well. We had a holy and moving time of worship on Ash Wednesday led by our young people. We can look forward to another beautiful and inviting service full of their gifts freely shared on Maundy Thursday. The service will be at First Presbyterian Church of Cedar Falls at 7:00 PM. You do not want to miss it.
Nor do you want to miss the sheer joy and enthusiasm of our children as they play rhythm instruments at the end of our 11:00 o'clock service. Our youngest members give us the gift of their giggles, smiles, and dancing. They draw us into God's holy presence and send us all out with a song of joy resonating in the chambers of our hearts. I highly encourage everyone to join us for that worshipful moment in the near future.
May God's new life well up inside each of us and spill over to those around us in acts of love and mercy.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Eric
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Palm Sunday, 9 & 11 AM
This Sunday service at CHCPC will include the waving of palms and joyous singing of Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem.
Maundy Thursday, FPC, 7 PM
Rev. Eric Sunderland is preaching at this combined service at First Presbyterian Church, Cedar Falls.
Good Friday, CHCPC, 7 PM
A solemn service of remembrance with singing by the
combined church choirs and preaching by Rev. Brad Braley.
Easter Sunday, 9 & 11:15 AM
Jesus is risen! "Come and See, Go and Tell" Rejoice through brass ensemble and singing, preaching and fellowship!
Easter Brunch in the Fellowship Hall: 10 AM
Easter Egg Hunt: 10:40 AM
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Prayers, Letters & Thank You's 
PRAYERS FOR OUR CHURCH FAMILY: Betty Meewes, Joyce & Henry Hermanstorfer; for Susan Losher's mother; for Kathy Orr's sister; for Norma Caquelin's cousin; for Linda Walther's brother.
SYMPATHY TO:
- Scott, Stephanie, Noah & Benjamin Gleissner and Daniel, Mandy, Dakota & Daniel (lll) Gleissner on the death of their mother and grandmother, Linda Gleissner, on Mar. 16.
THANK YOU:
- ...to all of you for the visits & cards while I was in the hospital and home. This sounds like a broken record and I hope to get back to church soon. Thanks again, Betty Meewes
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Head Ushers
9:00 - Cindy Michael
11:00 - Ashlinn Baber
Communion Prep
April 20 - Jerry Purcell & Peter Voorhees
Coffee
April 6 - Willard Jenkins
April 13 - Tracy Faaberg
April 20 - Easter Breakfast
April 27 - Willard Jenkins
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Staff
Dr. D. Jay Losher, Interim Pastor
Rev. Eric Sunderland, Associate Pastor of Christian Education
Rev. Christine Kaplunas, Outreach & Web Design
Rev. Robert Roof, Pastor Emeritus
Sue Feltman, Director of Music
Janelle Darst, Early Childhood Christian Education
Stephanie Ehlers, College Intern of Children's Ministry
Kim Latch, Office Administrator
Shelly Mallin, Accounting
Marleta Matheson, Sanctuary Choir Accompanist
Morgan Horning, Soprano Section Leader
Leia Lensing, Alto Section Leader
Brent Smith, Bass Section Leader
Cindy & Tim Klatt, Custodians
Jessica McEvoy, Nursery Attendant
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