Cedar Grove Church Leadership Transition
Dear Covenant Members,
As you heard in the video message, after 24 years of faithful and dedicated service to Cedar Grove Church, Pastor Kevin and Cynthia have made the decision to step down and retire from his position as Lead Pastor effective July 25. This was not an easy nor quick decision for Pastor Kevin to make nor for the Overseers board to talk through and accept. Pastor Kevin is loved and deeply appreciated by all of us. His contributions to Cedar Grove since becoming Lead Pastor in 1997 have been immense and we are deeply grateful for his obedience to God's call. After much prayer and discussion, the leadership team believes that Pastor Kevin's decision is the direction of the Lord for Cedar Grove at this moment in our journey as a church.
In light of this, the board and Pastor Kevin have agreed to the following timeline for his transition as well as plans to recognize his leadership, sacrifice and ministry to Cedar Grove.
- Sunday June 20: Official announcement to the church
- Sunday July 25: Final message from Pastor Kevin & Farewell Celebration Event for he and Cynthia.
The following are answers to some questions members may have about this transition.
Why are these changes happening at this time?
While this announcement may come as a surprise, Pastor Kevin and the board have been discussing a leadership succession plan and transition for the church for a number of years now. This timeframe ranged from as early as this year (2021) to the fall of 2022. God has given Pastor Kevin and us the clear direction that now is the time.
In past years, Pastor Kevin has preached through to the end of July and has taken a reading break in August. September is always the kickoff to a new season, with increased programs and ministries. So Pastor Kevin and the Board agreed his August break would be a timely moment for the transition, before we head into the rest of the ministry year.
There is never a perfect time for a long-standing Lead Pastor to retire. While this change will be hard, we can have peace knowing God is a part of this process.
What do I do if I’m feeling emotional about the transition and wish to talk to someone?
We know that this transition will bring up emotions and that is expected and okay. We want you to reach out to us at overseers@the-grove.net if you have questions or would like to talk. We also encourage you to reach out to Pastor Kevin, as he wants to connect with members. This will ensure that he ends strong and that we celebrate him and his legacy to Cedar Grove.
We know it may take some time to work through the many different emotions. So, we will be focusing on the needs of our staff, our members and the church as a whole as we navigate this change together. Our heart and prayer is: How can we bring God glory in all of this? God is faithful, He knows what He is doing and He is guiding our path. His love for us and for the body of Cedar Grove is everlasting.
Who will provide leadership to the church following these changes?
Following Pastor Kevin’s departure and before a new Lead Pastor is chosen, the church will be led by the overseers board. The board is also appointing Pastor Michael as the interim Lead Pastor. Direct responsibility for church administration, ministry, preaching and pastoral care will fall to Pastor Michael. The overseers have confidence that Pastor Michael and all of our Pastors and staff, who each bring unique and strong leadership and spiritual strengths and varied experience, will be able to serve our members until a new Lead Pastor is chosen.
What are the longer-term plans to fill the Lead Pastor position?
The board has been and will continue to work on a plan to fill the Lead Pastor position and will share this with members in the coming weeks. Ultimately, it is up to the Covenant Members to vote in a new Lead Pastor. We do not want to rush this process. We continue to seek the Lord on this and ask you to pray into this with us. We submit our plans to the Lord and seek His direction.
Are you making any changes to staff roles or any additional leadership changes?
No, there are currently no anticipated changes in church staffing, nor are any immediate changes planned. The board will be connecting with staff to support and come around them as we build for our future and prayerfully seek the Lord on next steps.
How will Cedar Grove be honouring Pastor Kevin for his many years of dedicated service?
We will be planning a celebration service for Pastor Kevin in the afternoon of Sunday July 25th. In the meantime, Pastor Kevin is going to make himself available to those wishing to connect with him. We will also be incorporating celebrations of Pastor Kevin into our prayer nights. More details on this to come.
Vacation Bible School | Ages 3 Years - Grade 5
This year we will embark on an epic quest through hidden ruins, ancient caves, and dense jungles. At Treasured VBS, kids dig into action-packed, faith-filled adventures. They’ll discover God’s greatest treasure isn’t diamonds, gems, or gold–it's them!
We're so glad that you are interested in registering your child for this year's VBS! This year's VBS will look different compared to previous years but our goal of loving God and others, growing in our relationship with Jesus, and belonging in God's family remains the same! We are committed to provide a Vacation Bible School for your kids, ages 5-12 years old only.
Due to large gathering restrictions, we have decided to split VBS into two (2) weeks and ONLY a morning session (9AM-12PM) for 40 kids per session. That means a total of 80 spots available for the two weeks. We kindly ask that you register your child only for one week.
There will be a fee of $50 per child to pay for the supplies and materials for the week. You'll also receive a CD of the VBS songs for this summer!
Your child's health and well-being are of utmost importance to us. We will ensure that when they come here for VBS, we will be practicing social distancing guidelines and proper hygiene etiquette.
Here is our protocol for COVID-19 safety:
- Within the 40 kids each week, they will be divided into 4 groups of 10 that they get to be with for the whole day. This group of 10 will be their cohort and there will be minimal interaction between the 4 cohorts.
- Leaders and volunteers will be wearing masks all throughout the session.
- Children will be required to bring their own colouring/writing materials.
- There will be a designated space for drop-off and pick-up children.
- Rooms, tables, chairs, and other equipment used will be sanitized before and after each session.
- Snacks will be carefully prepared only by our kitchen volunteers.
- Leaders, volunteers, and children who are sick or have travelled outside the country in the past 2 weeks will not be permitted to enter the building.
We hope that this VBS will be even more impactful to your kids' lives and walk with Jesus.
Miguel Gepulle and Christine Kielan
Children's Ministry Directors
Cedar Grove Baptist Church
SOCCER FRIENDS
July 26 - 30 & August 9 - 13
9 am - Noon Daily
Cost FREE
Camp Sessions
Welcome to Soccer Friends! At Soccer Friends, we’re much more than just a soccer camp. Campers will build confidence and creativity as we foster an inclusive, engaging and active summer camp experience. We aim to provide the best experience for your child.
Programming consists of learning and playing soccer daily which includes a warm up, individual skill development, fun team games, soccer scrimmages and mini games. Campers are grouped by age, size (& ability where possible) in group sizes that are about 12 campers to 2 staff.
About Us
Soccer Friends is a summer camp ministry of Cedar Grove Baptist Church. We have been organizing and hosting summer camps and sports camps for children and youth in the Guildford/Whalley community for over 30 years.
Who Can Join
All children aged 8 to 12 years old (at time of camp) of any skill level, from never playing soccer before to competitive rep players** are encouraged and welcome to register for one or both of our July and August sessions.*
* campers requiring 1 on 1 or extra attention must be accompanied by a support worker or additional supervision provided by the parent/guardian. ** for some older competitive rep players camp may not meet your expectations
Drop off: 8:45 - 9 am / Pick up: 12:00 pm
Camp Location: Hjorth Road Park
Drop off and parking beside Hjorth Road Pool off 146 Street, south of 104 Avenue
Inclement weather: Camp will be held at Hjorth Road soccer fields most days. Should it rain we will meet at the Cedar Grove Church gymnasium.
Our Staff
At Soccer friends, we are blessed to have the staff we have. Not only do our staff have experience with children with a background in soccer but they are passionate and committed to making a positive difference in the lives of every camper. All Soccer Friends staff must participate in multiple training sessions and provide a criminal record check. Our care and responsible staff foster a child-centered approach at our camp.
Cost FREE
#cedargrovechurch #biblebelieving #surreychurch #nopauseprayer
Is the COVID vaccine the mark of the beast?
Do you have questions about whether or not you should take the COVID-19 vaccine as a Christian? Concerned about social media posts that link the vaccine to the sign of the anti-Christ? To help you navigate these and other questions, we are sharing these short videos from a helpful website developed by several churches and Christian organizations, in partnership with the U.S. National Association of Evangelicals.
While respecting that these are personal choices that no one can make for you, we encourage Cedar Grove members seeking Biblical guidance to use this resource in making their own informed and Scripture-based decisions about the vaccine and COVID.
The Bible vs. Science?
Common evangelical concerns addressed by Christian scientist and one of the world’s top experts on the COVID-19 vaccines, Dr. Francis Collins (8:42 mins.)
Ethics of rolling up your sleeve
Questions about the Biblical morality of taking the COVID vaccine, answered by Christian ethics expert Dr. Jim Denison (5:03 mins.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xMrCiTHu1E
Jesus and the vaccine
An evangelical pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress, explains how the example of Jesus can help church members make decisions about the vaccines (6.52 mins.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZVALSc4ZA0
COVID, politics and the Bible
Bible teacher and former pastor Dr. Curtis Chang tackles issues such as whether the vaccine is a form of government control, how Christians should respond to COVID restrictions, and why taking the vaccine is a way to serve others (9:45 mins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9Sq2gucR7o
Pro-life, pro-vaccine
Bible teacher and former pastor Dr. Curtis Chang looks into whether it’s Biblically consistent to be against abortion and still take the vaccine (12:58 mins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBNptN9D9jU&t=1s
Discerning fake COVID information
Bible teacher and former pastor Dr. Curtis Chang explains how Christians can spot fake news about the vaccine. (8:07 mins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toUkP-VE7R0&feature=emb_logo
Sign of the beast?
Bible teacher and former pastor Dr. Curtis Chang considers whether the vaccine is the mark of the beast described in the Book of Revelation (18:07)
CONNECT WITH A PASTOR
This new initiative will make our pastors more available to you. Go ahead and sign up for a 30 minute connection time with a pastor at Cedar Grove ... time for questions, discussion, and prayer. Sometimes we just need time to talk!
30 MINUTE TIME SLOTS:
Tuesdays 2 - 4 pm | Pastor Sam Tse | BOOK A TIME HERE
Wednesdays 3 - 5 pm | Pastor Kevin Cavanaugh | BOOK A TIME HERE
Sundays 3 - 4:30 pm | Pastor Michael Vuorensivu | BOOK A TIME HERE
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