This Sunday at COS:
Before worship, you can attend the 9:00am Hour in the church living room. Sunday, November 17’s meeting is Contemplate with Harry Plantinga. Each Contemplate gathering will help us discover the profound wisdom of Julian of Norwich’s “Revelations of Divine Love”. Learn more about the 9:00am Hour at COS.
On this first Sunday in Advent season Sunday, Rev. Len Vander Zee will preach in the Tree of Life service in the large sanctuary from Luke 21:25-36 and Jeremiah 33:14-16. Rev. Andrew Mead will preach from Jeremiah 33:14-16 in the All Nations Worship Service in Room 4.
The 10 am Tree of Life service will also be broadcast via Zoom. Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.
Worship:
Preaching Schedule
December 8 ANWS – Charles Rugiramarora, TOL – Rev. Andrew Mead
December 15 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
December 22 Prism – Intergenerational Christmas Story – God’s Big Story
December 29 ANWS – Rev. Ruth Lemmen, TOL – Seminarian Lucy Gitau
Upcoming services and opportunities to participate:
- Advent 1 – Sunday, December 1, 10:00am
Candle Lighters are needed for each of the Advent services. There is no speaking needed for this role. If you are interested, contact Maria Stapert Vander Berg (maria.stapert@coscrc.org). - Advent 2 – Sunday, December 8, 10:00am
- Advent 3 – Sunday December 15, 10:00am
- O Antiphons Evening Advent Service – Sunday, December 15, 6:00pm
In addition to visual art and music for each antiphon, we will have a short reflection on each antiphon. If you are interested in offering a spoken reflection, or writing a poem related to one of the antiphons, contact Maria Stapert Vander Berg (maria.stapert@coscrc.org) - Advent 4/Prism Service – Sunday, December 22, 10:00am
- Adults and kids of all ages are invited to participate in the telling of God’s Big Story. There are speaking roles and non-speaking roles. Rehearsals will take place on Sundays, December 8 and 15 from 11:30am – 12:45pm. If you are interested in participating, contact Jolanda Howe (jo.howe@coscrc.org).
- The Joyful Noise Orchestra will lead music for this service. Music will be available by Sunday, December 8. Rehearsals will be Wednesday, December 18 at 6:30pm, and Sunday, December 22 at 9:00am. Those involved in the telling of God’s Big Story can also participate in JNO if desired. Sign up by emailing Maria Stapert Vander Berg (maria.stapert@coscrc.org).
- Christmas Eve Service – Tuesday, December 24, 7:00pm – including communion and candlelight, Rev. Andrew Mead preaching
- Christmas Day Caroling – Wednesday, December 25, 10:00am – including Christmas Prelude music presented by children of the congregation, and hot chocolate (or coffee/tea) and cookies
Faith Formation:
Our Children will Tell God’s Big Story on Sunday, Dec. 22nd!
On Sunday, December 22 our Sunday morning services will combine for a special Prism service. Children and teens will take leading roles in sharing the story of God’s amazing rescue plan! Sunday worship will begin as usual until the passing of peace, when the children/students will move to the front to prepare for their roles. When the storytelling portion of the service is finished, they’ll head back to their seats for the remainder of the service. Since the children will be participating in the service there will be no Little Lambs or Children’s Worship on Dec. 22. After the service we’ll enjoy our annual Christmas brunch!
Rehearsals for the Dec. 22nd God’s Big Story Service
Sunday, Dec. 8 & 15, During the Sunday School Hour (11:45am-12:30pm)
We’ll have two rehearsals for children and youth to prepare for their roles in the Sunday morning service on Dec. 22. These rehearsals will be during Sunday school hour in the Tree of Life sanctuary. Please plan to be there on Dec. 8 & 15 for rehearsal and arrive a few minutes early for worship on Dec. 22nd so your kids can get into their costumes!
We want this experience to be stress-free, joyful experience even for our youngest kids. Toddlers and preschoolers enjoy playing shepherds and angels—and parents are welcome to put on a costume to join them! We’ll need a few angelic parents to sit with the kids up front and shepherd them through their portion of the program, so let me know if you’d be willing to take part : ) I’ll have a sign-up sheet available on Sunday kids can sign up for the roles they’d enjoy. If you have any questions, please give me a call at 616-238-1324, or send an email to jo.howe@coscrc.org.
Christmas Day Carol Sing & Children’s Musical Prelude
Sunday, Dec. 25, 9:45am
Children and teens are invited to play or sing a Christmas song on Christmas day. This invitation is open to those with experience as well as new musicians who are just learning how to play. Duets and quartets between a parent and child, siblings, or friends are welcome! Please let Maria Stapert Vander Berg know if your child or teen is interested in playing, and plan to arrive at church at 9:40am on Christmas morning.
Advent Devotional Resources for Families
Select resources will be available in the café to purchase at a discounted rate between Dec. 1-Dec. 15
Look for these new resources in the Café starting Dec. 1, along with a few favorites from years past:
- Praying the Advent Names of God by Ansgar Holmberg, CSJ and Joan Mitchell, CSJ
Vibrant, detailed illustrations, paired with Scripture, prayers, and poetry make this little book a rich resource. The Advent names of God in this book are the same names highlighted in our O Antiphons Advent Service on Dec. 15!
- Waiting on the Word: A Poem a Day for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany By Malcolm Guite
This book of poetry is aimed at adults and teens. This book also includes O Antiphons poetry among the many other poems focused on Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany.
- All Creation Waits, Children’s Edition by Gayle Boss, Illustrated by Sharon Spitz
If you’ve loved the book All Creation Waits, you’ll delight in sharing this book with your children or grandchildren! Beautiful illustrations and lyrical prose highlight the hibernation practice of one animal each day. Animal facts plus the Advent themes of waiting, longing, and trust are sure to spark wonder and faith-filled conversation!
- The Wonder of the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp
This resource appears to be a book, but it actually opens into a three-dimensional paper Jesse Tree, with numbered advent-calendar style doors that open to reveal each day’s ornament to hang on the tree! Paired with the ornaments are daily readings highlighting prophecies and stories leading up to the birth of Christ. If treated gently this could be a keepsake to use each year.
- Year-Round Devotional Options:
Along with Advent devotionals, I also have Teach Us to Pray: Scripture Center Family Worship Through the Year by Laura A. Copley and Elizabeth Vander Hagaan and God’s Big Story Cards by Karen DeBoer and Carol Reinsma. Both are excellent resources for elementary-school-aged and older children.
Dinner & Wednesday Night Clubs on Dec. 4th and 11th, Then Winter Break in January
5:30 Dinner, 6:30-8:00pm Club Ministries
We’ll be meeting twice in December before taking January off for a winter break. Next Generation and Wednesday Night Hype will decorate Christmas cookies on Wednesday, December 11, so you won’t want to miss it! Stay tuned for a possible sledding event in January!
Outreach & Congregational Life:
Thank you, Blood Donors, for another successful drive on Monday, November 18! There were 27 units of blood donated, with an impact of 81 patients receiving life-saving blood! Special milestones were reached by Norma Carey – 9 gallons, Claire Elgersma – 1 gallon, Kacy Houseman – 1 gallon, Steve Huyser-Honig – 1 gallon, ChiChi Van Dyke – 11 gallons, and Judy Vriesema – 7 gallons! Our next drive is on Monday, February 10. Hope to see you there!
COS Women – The COS Women’s Non-Retreat is back! It is a low-key, unstructured time away to relax and connect/reconnect with other COS women. We have rented a place near Traverse City that accommodates around 30 women. Arrive Friday, February 7 and leave Sunday, February 9, 2025, or anytime in there that works for YOU. Carpooling available. Indoor and outdoor hot tubs, hiking/walking or just relaxing by the fireplace. Suggested donation for lodging is $125/person but don’t let cost be a hindrance! Any amount you are able to contribute will be appreciated. To claim one of the 30 spots, give Deb or Annette a $25 deposit. Checks should be made out to COS. If there is sufficient interest, Deb will look into a Saturday afternoon winter rafting trip down the Jordan river. Call/text Deb Zondervan at (616) 485-5728 with questions or to sign up.
Christmas Brunch – December 22: Christmas Brunch following our Prism combined worship service. To remind you how this works: you will be assigned to contribute something based on your last name. Place your food in the café on one of the serving tables before the service. Have the food ready to be served—cut, sliced, and uncovered. The ovens and fridge in the kitchen will be available, as will serving spoons and knives. Enjoy the worship service and then head to the café to enjoy fellowship together. Your serving dish will be on a table near the kitchen. Volunteers are needed to help with serving punch and to clear empty serving dishes. Please contact Jill Frazee-Eitman if you would like to help.
Last names beginning:
A – E something “brunchy” —egg dish, deviled eggs, etc
F – K bread, muffins, bars or cookies
L – R veggies
S – Z fruit
Collecting Pajamas – Prisoners in Christ is partnering with 70X7 Life Recovery and the Kent County Sheriff’s office to collect pajamas for children with an incarcerated parent. For more information, see the flyer on the cafe table or contact Carol Rienstra carolrienstra@gmail.com 616-724-6772 or Cheryl Wyma. cherylw@70x7liferecovery.org 616-454-4925
Hospitality@COS – COS has two volunteer ministries related to the hospitality of coffee/tea/lemonade/cookies.
1. The Coffee Coordinator ministry prepares the coffee, tea, and lemonade Sundays from 9:00a-10:00a While you are welcome to help with the post-service duties, that is where the Hospitality – Coffee ministry serves. There are instructions posted around the kitchen. If you would like to participate in this ministry or have additional questions, contact Janice McWhertor, Monica Smith, or Ben Videtich.
2. The Hospitality – Coffee ministry serves after services on Sundays. Volunteers try to be in one of the first communion circles so you can be at the kitchen when service is dismissed, ready to serve. Hospitality – Coffee is finished when the kitchen and cafe are clean, mugs/cups are washed, and everything is put away. There are instructions posted around the kitchen. If you are a regular attender of COS, you are assigned to this ministry. Watch your email for your assignments and reminders. If you have additional questions, contact Janice McWhertor, Monica Smith, or Ben Videtich.
Missions:
Missionaries Of The Week – Eric and Shumaila Sarwar serve as church planters of Artesia City Church. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, reach the lost, and share God’s love, bringing Indian-Pakistani (Punjabi/Hindi and Urdu speaking) community, culture, and church together. Read more
Deacons:
Stewardship Team – To live into our overall vision statement and recently adopted “Our Calling: a Community of Belonging” statement, COS leadership has chosen “fellowship” as a guiding theme for 2024-2025. When we support Church of the Servant’s mission with our time, treasure, and talent, we are responding to God’s invitation. God calls us to be a community “rooted in Christ, nurtured by the Spirit, to grow in God’s grace to share gifts of refuge, fellowship, and hope.”
The Stewardship Team is inviting each of us to make a pledge of our finances as we live out our commitment to “share gifts of refuge, fellowship, and hope.” Both in our year-end giving, and in the pledges for the 2025 General Fund that we make in December, we are showing ourselves to be people of fellowship. Read more.
Enhance learning, lower costs, and generate off-grid power. COS missionaries Tony and Allison Westrate teach missionary kids and others at Rain Forest International School (RFIS) in Yaoundé, Cameroon. They seek help to fund a $125,000 solar array + battery project so RFIS won’t have to rely on increasingly erratic grid-supplied energy or the school generator, which costs five times more than the grid. Power outages happen several times a week and as much as five times during a single class.
Tony says, “Because of our new inverter’s management system, we’ll never lose power, not even a flick. Classes, school plays, and other activities can go on uninterrupted. The system will protect all our school electronics equipment from voltage surges and even most lightning strikes. We’ll save $15,000 per year and reduce our carbon footprint by 35 tons of CO2 per year.”
The COS Deacons approved giving $2,000 from our local discretionary fund, and we hope you will give too. RFIS obtained a 0% interest loan to start building the array. Our gifts will help pay off that loan. Gifts of any size help. Project costs include 96 solar panels and mounting racks at $400 each; two $300 surge protectors; one $1,750 high voltage junction box; nine $3,300 5.3kWh batteries; and more.
You can give through Trustbridge Portal here: https://tinyurl.com/RFISsolar. Be sure to enter United States as the country you are giving from. Through this link, you can give by physical check, credit card, bank transfer, or other options. All RFIS donations go their G2G campaign. In the notes, you can designate your gift for the solar array + battery project.
Office & Facilities:
Inclement Weather Cancellations – In communication, the members of the Executive Team will monitor weather, other cancellations in the area, and conditions around the COS building. Final determination of cancellation will be made by 7:00am on Sundays and 12:00pm on Wednesdays. If it is determined that services and events will be cancelled, the following steps are taken to ensure prompt communication to the congregation: posts will be made on social media, email will be sent, and post will be made on WOODTV8.
Doors A-G Update – The doors and card access system have been updated. If you have an event on campus, contact the church office for door to be scheduled unlocked. Please do not prop doors open.
Staffing Update – With the resignation of Dave Hartwell as Communications Coordinator, as interim solution, Council has moved some of his work to the Administrative Teams and put a hold on some of his work. Bulletin announcement requests should be sent to office@coscrc.org by 8:30am Thursdays. The newly formed AV Team is looking for volunteers interested in learning the audio and video tasks required to run the sound booth and live streaming. If you are interested in more information on the AV Team, contact Monica, Church Administrator, at monica.smith@coscrc.org.
Church Family News:
The Calvin Oratorio Society presents Handel’s Messiah! Under the leadership of conductor, Sean Ivory, members will sing alongside a 105-member chorus, a full orchestra and four guest soloists to put on this yearly holiday tradition. We welcome you to join us at one of our two performances taking place on Friday, December 6 at 7:30pm and Saturday, December 7 at 3:00pm. For tickets, please visit: https://calvin.universitytickets.com/?cid=180
The King’s Choraliers invite you to celebrate the birth of our Savior by joining them at their annual Christmas concert, “Jesus, ‘Brightest and Best,’” Sunday, December 15, 2024, at 7:30 PM at LaGrave Ave. CRC, 107 LaGrave Ave., in Grand Rapids. Their guest vocal group will be the Unity Christian High School Choral Ensemble. Additional guest instrumentalists will also be featured as well as a carol sing. A free will offering will be received.
Weekly Calendar: December 1 – December 8
Read more in this week’s Worship Resources Post
Sunday, December 1
- 9:00am – Harry Plantinga’s Class – Contemplate
- 10:00am – All Nations Worship Service in Room 4
- 10:00am – Tree Of Life Service in the Large Sanctuary
Monday, December 2
- 10:30am–12:30pm – Food Pantry
Tuesday, December 3
- 9:30am – Friendship ESL
- 10:00am – Tuesday Morning Prayer Group – at Beacon Hill
- 6:00pm – Friendship ESL
Wednesday, December 4
- 9:30am – Friendship ESL
- 11:30am–1:30pm – Food Pantry
- 5:30-8:00pm – Wednesday Night Programming
- 6:30pm – Jam Session
Thursday, December 5
- 8:30am – Bulletin announcement deadline – office@coscrc.org
- 9:30am – Thursday Bible Study
- 10:00am – ESL Bible Study fellowship
- 6:00pm – Friendship ESL
- 7:00pm – Facilities Team Meeting
Friday, December 6
- 3:30pm – Friday Newsletter and Bulletin sent Sign up here
Saturday, December 7
- 10:00am – All Nations Prayer Group
- 10:00am – Mobile Food Pantry Truck
Sunday, December 8
- 9:00am – Ruth Lemmen’s Class – Cultivate
- 10:00am – All Nations Worship Service in Room 4
- 10:00am – Tree Of Life Service in the Large Sanctuary
- 11:45 am – Sunday School and GPS
- 1:00pm – Soup’s On