This Sunday at COS:

On this Eastertide Sunday, Rev. Andrew Mead will preach from 1 John 5:1-6 in the Tree of Life worship service in the large sanctuary. Nola Galluch will preach in the All Nations Worship service in room 4. During worship we also have the joy of recognizing and celebrating our graduating high school seniors.

Following worship, stick around for Sunday School for all ages. In Adult-ed GPS, we welcome Andrew Vyumvuhore and other COS members who will tell their stories regarding conflict in the Congo (read more about GPS below). New Members classes conclude this week in the living room.

The 10 am Tree of Life service and GPS will also be broadcast via Zoom. Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.

Faith Formation:

GPS May 5: Conflict in the Congo. Among the many horrible conflicts in the world, one of the worst is the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has killed an estimated 6 million people over the last three decades. Some of the people whose lives were uprooted by this conflict have made their way to Grand Rapids and worship with us here at COS. Andrew Vyumvuhore and other COS members will tell their stories; come listen, learn what is happening in the East Africa, and bear witness to resilience in the face of immense suffering.

Help Celebrate our 14 graduating high school seniors! On Sunday, May 5, we will recognize our High School Seniors during the worship service. After worship, they will gather in the Youth Room for a reception where they will receive gifts from our church family to set them up for the next leg of their journey. Can you make a small donation to help celebrate these students by May 5? Donations will be shared among all our graduates and distributed in the form of a Visa Gift Card—one of several gifts they will receive from COS. Donations can be made through COS’ online giving link on their website, or by placing cash or checks in our donation box in the café by the senior picture display. Indicate “Grad Gift” in the memo area. Thank you for supporting these amazing humans!

Wednesday Night Programming Reminder: Wed. Night Dinners and all our programs for students in grades 2-12 (WNL, WNLX, Wed. Night Hype—formerly known as Boys Club, and Next Generation—formerly known as Girls Club) are on a break until Wednesday, June 19.

Summer Mission Trip for students in grades 8-12: This summer members of our high school youth group will be participating in SERVE, an organization that partners with local churches to do good in a community. We will be serving right here in Grand Rapids June 22-29, staying at LaGrave Ave. CRC for the week. We still have 4 openings. If you (and a friend?) are interested in joining us, contact Annette by May 5. Annette.ediger@coscrc.org.

Bibles for 2nd Grade Graduates on June 2 – On June 2 our 2nd graders will each receive a New International Readers Version (NIRV) Adventure Bible to mark the milestone of graduating from our Children’s Worship program. This will be the last day they’ll be dismissed to continue worship in the children’s wing, where they’ll explore their new Bibles and prepare to join in congregational worship the following week. If your child is in 2nd grade but doesn’t attend Children’s Worship, please send Jo a note at Jo.Howe@coscrc.org, so she can be sure they’re on the list to receive a Bible.

Children at the Lord’s Supper Class on June 2, 11:45pm-12:45pm & Welcoming Children to the Table on June 9– Through our baptism we are welcomed to the table for the Lord’s Supper, but most COS children spend part of the worship service in Little Lambs and Children’s Worship through the 2nd grade. So, we offer this class for graduating 2nd graders and baptized children of any age who would like to participate in the Lord’s Supper. Together we explore the meaning of the sacraments and how God meets us in the sacraments. We practice how we participate in communion at COS, and we invite the children to join in the feast! We’ve scheduled this class to allow a smooth transition into full participation in worship for our 2nd grade graduates, but older or younger children are certainly welcome. On June 9th we’ll welcome the children to the table, whichever service they attend. If you’d like to participate in this class with your child(ren), please send Jo a note at jo.howe@coscrc.org, to confirm you’ll be available to attend on June 2 and June 9. She will respond with further details about the class. If these dates don’t work for you, but your child is eager to participate in the Lord’s Supper, please also reach out so we can make a plan for welcoming your child(ren).

Outreach and Congregational Life

Camping – Mark your calendars! After a nearly 30 year hiatus, COS will again be inviting all church members to join us for a COS Camping Trip. We have reserved a block of camp sites and cabins at Wabasis Lake Campground for this coming fall, Sept. 27-29. Details are still being worked out, but if you want to reserve a campsite now, contact Annette (Annette.ediger@coscrc.org) or Ben (Ben.videtich@coscrc.org).

Neighbors need neighbors to make a difference. Give blood, save lives, and strengthen our community. Be a donor at our blood drive 2-7pm on Monday (May 6) here at Church of the Servant. Thanks to all who already signed up; there are a few appointment slots left on the Drive schedule. You can grab one of them here. You can literally save someone’s life, and who wouldn’t want to do that? Questions? Contact Beth Karanicola.

Meijer Simply Give: COS is delighted to once again partner with Meijer Simply Give in support of our in-house Food Pantry. Simply Give runs until June 29, 2024. During this time, you may purchase $10 Simply Give cards at the Cascade Meijer, and that money goes to the COS food pantry. The Double Match Day will be June 15. This means that every $10 card purchased on June 15 will result in $30 for the COS food pantry. If you would like COS to purchase the cards on the double match day on your behalf, please drop your donation in the Sunday offering and label your gift “Simply Give.”

Help a kind-hearted woman run errands on first Fridays. VIS (Volunteers in Service) has asked COS for one or two volunteers—or a rotating group—willing to transport Susan, a COS neighbor in her 50s. This would be from 9 a.m. to noon, starting May 3 and every first Friday afterward. You’ll drive Susan on a set list of errands near Breton Village and Gaslight Village to a blood draw lab, bank, grocery store, and two pharmacies. You’ll also help by going in with her, pushing shopping carts, and carrying in her purchases to her apartment. VIS says, “Susan is very sweet and kind-hearted as you get to know her. She blooms when introduced as ‘your friend!’ Susan thrives on routine and consistency to manage her life. She is always thankful, even if she forgets to show appreciation in the moment as she works diligently to manage each situation.” If you have questions or would like to volunteer, please contact Joan Huyser-Honig, chair of deacons.

Office and Facilities:

COS is hiring a Campus Facilities Assistant. The Campus Facilities Assistant is responsible for maintaining the outdoor campus of COS and organizing of volunteers to assist where needed. This position is a ten-hour per week position. Contact Monica for the full job description.

Council:

Last week, COS Council shared an update on some of the big questions facing COS. If you missed it, read it in last week’s bulletin. The announcement included the following upcoming dates to remember:

  • Listening sessions with Council members Sunday, May 5
  • Town hall – Sunday, May 12
  • Budget Q&A – Sunday, May 26
  • Annual Congregational Meeting – budget approval and Council slate of office bearers’ approval – Sunday, June 2

Stewardship:

Thirteen refugees have benefited from the Jack and Carol Roeda Refugee Higher Education Fund since it was begun in 2012, many of them having graduated from college. For this we thank God. In the last several years, however, COS has welcomed many more refugees with large families. Seven of our many teenagers and one working father are hoping to attend GRCC this coming fall! We do not have enough funds to support all these students and so we need to refill our coffers for this next year and the following ones. To assist these students is one way in which you can be part of COS’s mission to “share gifts of refugee, fellowship and hope.” Please designate any gift you can give for the “Jack and Carol Roeda Refugee Higher Education Fund.”

Online Giving Portal at COS has a new look. If you give or have given to COS through our online portal and it looks different, that is because our giving portal has been updated. The new look includes Church of the Servant in the top left-hand corner and our contact information in the bottom left corner. Your credentials to access the portal are still the same, but the way you choose to give has changed. You will use the drop down to select which fund you would like to donate to and then the frequency of the donation and if you plan to give to more than one fund, you will add the chosen fund and frequency for that gift to your basket. If you are donating to only one fund you will choose the fund and frequency and click, give now. If you are unsure if you completed the process correctly or have any questions, please feel free to contact AJ Zahrt by email or phone.

Worship:

Preaching Schedule
May 12             ANWS – Ruth Lemmen, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
May 19             Prism combined service – Lucy Gitau
May 26             ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
June 2              ANWS – TBD, TOL – Rev. Andrew Mead

The Joyful Noise Orchestra will lead music for our worship on Sunday, May 12. If you play a band or orchestra instrument, you are welcome and encouraged to join the group for this service!  Sign up in the music room or by emailing Maria Stapert Vander Berg (maria.stapert@coscrc.org).  Music is available to be picked up in the music room, or a PDF can be emailed to you if you sign up by email. We will rehearse on Wednesday, May 8 at 6:30pm in the sanctuary, and on Sunday, May 12 at 9:00am. Email Maria if you have any questions. 

Summer Jam Sessions – Wednesday evening programming is finished for this school year, but the demand for jam sessions continues! If you like to strum, pick, sing, hit, shake, or play folksy/Americana melodies by ear, you are welcome to join these summer jam sessions. Observers and learners are welcome, too! Chords and lyrics will be provided. The jam sessions will be held in the sanctuary from 6:30pm-8:00pm on Wednesdays, June 5, June 26, July 10, and August 7.  (Summer Wednesday evening programming will also take place on June 26 and July 10. So come at 5:30 for dinner before jamming.)