Sunday, December 8 at COS:
Before worship, you can attend the 9 am Hour in the church living room. This week’s meeting is Cultivate with Ruth Lemmen. Each Cultivate gathering will focus on a spiritual practice–some ancient, some newer, some involving creativity or movement. Learn more about the 9 am Hour at COS
On this second Sunday in Advent season Sunday, Rev. Andrew Mead will preach in the Tree of Life service in the large sanctuary from Luke 3:1-6 and Isaiah 40:1-5. Pastor Charles Rugiramarora will preach in the All Nations Worship Service in Room 4.
Following worship, participate in Sunday School for all ages. Our Adult-ed GPS meets in Room 5 for a discussion on Artificial Intelligence (AI) with professor and author Dr. Derek Schuurman.
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 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
January 5 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
Upcoming services and opportunities to participate:
- 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. - 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
2024 New Psalm Contest: Church of the Servant is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 New Psalm Contest: - First Place goes to “My Heart, O God, Is Steadfast” (Psalm 108) by Elizabeth Busch Lerourneau
- Second Place goes to “Lift Up Your Eyes” (Psalm 121) by Ephrem Feeley & Alan Hommerding
- Read more here.
Faith Formation:
GPS: Following worship, our adult-ed GPS will meet in Room 5, where our guest speaker Dr. Derek Schuurman will present on faith and technology in the digital age. In the age of ChatGPT, AI-generated images, and big data, how can we as Christians live into a more faithful vision of technology in this world? Is AI our destroyer, savior, or something else? At GPS this week, we will learn how to view AI through the lens of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Dr. Schuurman is a professor of computer science at Calvin University, a respected author, and an expert on thinking deeply about how faith and technology relate to each other.
Sunday, December 8: Rehearsal for the Sunday, December 22 God’s Big Story Service
During the Sunday School Hour (11:45am-12:30pm) in the Tree of Life Service
Please bring your children to the Tree of Life service after church this Sunday to pick out costumes and parts for the God’s Big Story Service and run through the program and music together. If you won’t be able to make it to practice again on Sunday, December 15, please check in with Jo Howe after this Sunday’s rehearsal! Please reach out to Jo if you have any questions at 616-238-1324, or jo.howe@coscrc.org.
Sunday, December 25: Christmas Day Carol Sing & Children’s Musical Prelude, 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 through Sunday, December 15
Look for these new resources in the Café, 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 Sunday, December 15 at 6:00pm! - 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.
Wednesday, December 11 is the Last Wednesday Night Meal & Clubs of 2024!
5:30 Dinner, 6:30-8:00pm Club Ministries
Please send your kids in snow gear this Wednesday night for an Advent-themed illuminated walk on our nature trail, as well as cookie baking and decorating! Stay tuned for a possible sledding event in January!
Outreach & Congregational Life:
New Members: Sunday, December 8, we will welcome New Members to COS. Read bios here.
Saturday prayer meetings are postponed for December and will resume in January at 10am on Saturdays in the library. All are welcome!
SoupsOn: One way our congregation is living into the theme of fellowship is a joyful monthly meal in the homes of various folks: “SoupsOn”. Sunday, December 8 at 1:00pm, college students and young adults are warmly invited to the home of Jeanne Logan and Len Vander Zee. Anyone in the congregation is welcome to join Nancy and Glenn Remelts, but be aware! Both meals are first-come first-served, with space limited to 8 guests at the Remelts home and 6 at the Vander Zee residence. Note that the Logan/Vander Zee couple will be serving gluten free vegan food with cheese, etc. on the side. Feel free to let them know in-person on Sunday, or email them in advance: jlogan@alumni.nd.edu or remeltsn@gmail.com.
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.
Creation Care:
But what do I do with these old Christmas lights that no longer work? Note: This is the first of a planned monthly news feature from the Creation Care Team. If you have follow-up questions or ideas, please reach out to Dave Koetje at david.koetje@gmail.com.
You can recycle them! And the Creation Care Team is here to help you. In fact, COS is now partnering locally with Comprenew to collect and recycle certain types of e-waste, beginning with Christmas lights. Starting now through January 12, you can bring old light sets to church and put them in our “Christmas Lights Recycling” bucket located in the cafe.
And what about all your other e-waste? Yes, as we all know, tech and electronic gifts rank near the top on American’s Christmas wish lists. We gleefully unbox the new phone or speaker or laptop or batteries, and then… we throw away the old ones. But e-waste does not go away. These items join a global e-waste stream. According to the World Health Organization, 66 million tonnes of e-waste is generated globally each year and only 22% of this is formally collected and recycled. Most of the rest makes its way to poor countries where women and child laborers informally recycle it, exposing them and their ecosystems to health hazards like lead, mercury, and dioxins.
There is a better way, and the nonprofit Comprenew is actively participating in it. In the coming months watch for opportunities when we will collect other types of e-waste at church and then bring the items to Comprenew. Can’t wait that long? You can also bring your e-waste to one of Comprenew’s two drop-off centers/resale shops. Click here for a complete list of accepted items and pricing.
Our support of Comprenew by recycling and purchasing of refurbished goods helps to ensure a safer and healthier planet.
Did You Know?:
Mobile Food Pantry: Did You Know? COS hosts a Mobile Food Pantry Truck through FeedWM monthly. For over 25 years, members of the Church of the Servant have faithfully gathered in all types of weather on the first Saturday of the month to distribute food to the people in our community who need it the most. Originally, the Mobile Food Pantry was operated in the parking lot of the Camelot Woods apartments community building on the other side of Burton. From a repurposed beverage truck, volunteers would pass out food to people who walked past to receive produce, baked goods, and other groceries. Read more here.
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. 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. Pledge forms will be available next to the liturgies on Sunday morning, or you can use the fillable form on the COS website: https://www.churchoftheservantcrc.org/giving/
Current Pledge Results: 10 pledges totaling $78,900 (average pledge $7,890). Goal: $915,394.
Missions:
Missionaries Of The Week – Our prayer focus this week is on the work of Naji and Anne Umran in Egypt.
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.
Café Wreaths: Christmas wreaths are a beautiful symbol of unity, and just as each wreath is unique in design, so too are the people who gather together at COS. Some wreaths may be adorned with bows, while others are embellished with natural pinecones, or berries, reflecting the creativity and personal expression of those who attend COS. Some may feature traditional colors of green and red, while others embrace the traditional Advent color of purple. Just as these wreaths come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each person in the congregation brings their own story, background, and gifts, contributing to a vibrant tapestry of faith and fellowship. Together, they form a collective beauty, much like the diverse wreaths that decorate the Café, each one unique, yet all united in a fellowship of believers. Enjoy this celebration of our diversity on display this winter.
Prayer & Church Family News:
Wednesday, December 18, Nancy Knol will have thyroid surgery. She and John and Jane, Andrew, Wendell, and Amby Zwart would appreciate your prayers for a good outcome.
Dear COS family, The Huismans – Carl, Coni, and Jonathan– thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement over the last several months of our health issues. Carl can now see one image with the help of a prism in his glasses, and Jonathan’s Inspire implant was activated and his sleep apnea is showing improvement. We moved to Raybrook Estates II on November 26. We praise the Lord for our experiences of His faithfulness again and again, for His blessings, and for His mercies. We have been surrounded by God’s love expressed to us by so many of you. We thank God for each of you and your witness of God’s grace.
Community and Requested Announcements:
If you’re out and about on Saturday, December 14, you might want to stop in at the David’s House Ministries residents’ craft show between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Karen Hampton, her housemates, and many other David’s House residents will be selling their handmade treasures for very reasonable prices. It’s a joyous occasion. DHM is located at 2251 Hope Grove Ave. S.W., Wyoming (just south and west of the Burton and Clyde Park intersection).
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 8 – December 15
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 – December 22 Rehearsal, High School Sunday School, and GPS
- 1:00pm – Soup’s On
Monday, December 9
- 10:30am–12:30pm – Food Pantry
- 7:00pm – Refugee Support Team Zoom
Tuesday, December 10
- 9:30am – Friendship ESL
- 10:00am – Tuesday Morning Prayer Group – at Beacon Hill
- 6:00pm – Friendship ESL
Wednesday, December 11
- 9:30am – Friendship ESL
- 11:30am–1:30pm – Food Pantry
- 5:30-8:00pm – Wednesday Night Programming
- 6:30pm – Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, December 12
- 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 – Council Meeting
Friday, December 13
- 3:30pm – Friday Newsletter and Bulletin sent Sign up here
Saturday, December 14
Sunday, December 15
- 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
- 11:45 am – December 22 Rehearsal and GPS