This Sunday at COS:
On this Pentecost season Sunday, Rev. Andrew Mead will preach from Psalm 148 in the Tree of Life service in the large sanctuary. Ruth Lemmen will preach from Psalm 77 in the All Nations Worship Service in room 4.
Following worship, check out the Tables & Tours Ministry Fair in the café
Tables: there will be representatives from the various ministries available to answer questions. Learn more or find out how you can get involved in the various ministries at COS.
Tours: Following morning worship, take a 15-minute tour of the interior campus and learn a little about the building and its history.
The 10 am Tree of Life service will also be broadcast via Zoom. Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.
Council:
The slate of nominees was approved at the Sunday, August 18 congregational meeting. Thank you for your faithful support in favor of the new slate of Council members for the next term. Below are the Parish Care list assignments.
Executive Team
Eric Walstra (25) – Chair of Council
Joan Huyser Honig (25) – Chair of Deacons
Mariama Bundu (26) – Chair of Elders
Elder
Ann Dieleman (25) Parish ANS
Kim Benedict (25) Parish 1
Chris Klein (27) Parish 2
Elizabeth Boelens (25) Parish 3
Mike Zahrt (27) Parish 4
Cindy Vander Kodde (26) Parish 5
Jim Stoel (26) Parish 6
Claire Elgersma (25) Parish 7
Chuck Hampton (26) Parish 8
Kate DeHart (27) Welcome Elder
Jolene Vos-Camy (25)
Deacon
Prasad Rai (26) Parish ANS
Dave Stransky (26) Parish ANS
Marty Monsma (25) Parish 1
Dave Clemo (26) Parish 2
Janice McWhertor (25) Parish 3
Hope Bradley (25) Parish 4
Brian Huyser (26) Parish 5
Andrew Huston (27) Parish 6
Linda Kiel (27) Parish 7
Nancy Remelts (26) Parish 7
Arend Vander Pols (25) Parish 8
Office and Facilities:
COS provides Sunday transportation to 30-40 people using two vans. The Transportation Ministry is looking for additional drivers to assist the current two drivers who make this ministry happen. Routes are already determined, leaving COS at 8:30am. The return trip leaves COS at 12:45pm. If you have a valid driver’s license, are over 25 years old, and are interested in more information, contact Monica Smith.
COS has a Security Team and a Medical Team scheduled for each Sunday service. The Security Team walks through the campus observing activities and is available to assist with any security issues which may arise. The ST wears an orange nametag. The Medical Team is the point person for any medical emergencies. The MT wears a white nametag with a red cross. If you would like more information about these Teams or would like to join their important work, contact Dave Stransky and Isaac Young.
Faith Formation:
Register Your Child(ren) & Student(s) Under 18 for the 2024-2025 Ministry Season! We’re looking forward to the new ministry season and need your help ensuring we have all the information we need to plan the programs we love! Please use this registration link, to register now. If you prefer a paper copy, you’ll find them on the counter in the café and at the children’s check-in station at church. When you register your child(ren), your name will be entered into a drawing for a prize basket. One family from the All Nations Worship Service and one family from the Tree of Life Worship Service will be awarded a prize basket when their name is drawn. Register by August 25 and your name will be entered into the drawing twice!
We’ve made this year’s registration as short and sweet as possible. Just fill out one form for your first child that includes information for your whole household (your phone, emergency contacts, etc.). For each additional child you’ll skip the final two sections of the form, filling out only the child/student information. Members of our registration team will be in the café and at the back of the All Nations Worship Service after church for the next two weeks to help fill out forms and answer any questions you have. Please return all completed forms to Annette Ediger, Lucy Gitau, or Jolanda Howe, or mail them to the church office by Aug. 31.
The New Season of Little Lambs & Children’s Worship Begins August 25! This Sunday, August 25, we’ll welcome the new Little Lambs (ages 2.5-3 years-old)! We’ll also start the new ministry season, advancing children into their new age or grade level. Since these ministries are offered year-round, and school start dates vary, Aug. 25 might not perfectly match when your child starts or goes back to school. But we’ll do our best to make it a smooth, happy transition for every child.
If your child is new to Little Lambs, please stop at the children’s welcome station on the way into church on Aug. 25th. Jo will show you how to check your child in and print a nametag for them and pickup slip for you, so they’ll be ready to participate.
You may want to come to church a few minutes early, so you can walk to the children’s wing to visit their Little Lambs room to see where they’ll be going, before the service starts. When you hear the invitation for children to come forward, you may send your child forward on their own, join them in the front, or encourage them to join the processional after the blessing if they are shy about being up front. You’re welcome to remain in the worship service as your child exits.
For some kids it’s helpful for a parent to walk with the child to the children’s wing to sing and say goodbye, or even help them settle into their classroom the first couple times. With time and practice they’ll get used to saying goodbye and enjoying their time in Little Lambs. They’ll look forward to seeing you again when you pick them up from their classroom at the end of the service.
Wondering About Wednesday Night Clubs? Sunday School? Or Little Lambs and Children’s Worship? Visit Tables and Tours This Sunday, August 25! Please visit Tables and Tours next Sunday to pick up a little lamb sticker and learn more about our faith formation programs! I’d love to answer your questions, and help you discern the programs you or your child(ren) or student(s) might enjoy!
Our team of volunteers includes children in 5th grade and older serving as Little Lambs and Children’s Worship assistants, and high schoolers through adults serving as lead teachers and storytellers in Little Lambs and Children’s Worship programs! Telling the stories of faith to younger children helps older kids and teens experience God’s word in new and rich ways as they reflect on what each story means for little ones and for themselves. It’s exciting to see kids who grow up into these programs taking on leadership roles, discovering their gifts, and feeling more deeply connected to the body of Christ here at COS!
We also need faith-filled adults of all ages to help lead or teach in our Sunday school classes, as well as our LL, CW, Next Generation, and Wednesday Night Hype programs. Opportunities range from helping just once with a special project, prayer, or devotions, to bi-monthly, monthly, or weekly ways to invest in kids on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights, or certain times of the year. Annual and on-the-job ministry training is provided, along with lots of support to set you up for success! Come see if any of our children’s ministries would be a good fit for your gifts and calling! * Please note, background checks are required for adults serving in ministries that include children under the age of 18.
Worship:
Preaching Schedule
September 1 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Rev. Ron Rienstra
September 8 ANWS – Charles Rugiramarora, TOL – Rev. Andrew Mead
September 15 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
September 22 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
Baptism: Sunday, September 8 in the Tree of Life service, we will celebrate the sacrament of baptism of Emma Riddle, Claire Riddle, and Graham Riddle as they are welcomed into the family of God at Church of the Servant. We will receive the promises God makes to his children and heirs, hear the commitments of the families, and together, promise to pray for and encourage Emma, Claire, and Graham as they grow in their faith and life.
New Psalm Contest: Church of the Servant invites songwriters to submit congregational Psalm songs to the 2024 COS New Psalm Contest. As the foundational prayer book of the church, Church of the Servant is committed to singing the Psalms regularly in worship in both old and new ways, to promote faithful and fruitful engagement with the texts. Church of the Servant also has a rich history of encouraging the arts in worship. Its worship is Reformed, liturgical, participatory, eclectic, and open to creative new worship expressions. The first-place winner will receive a $500 award; the second-place winner will receive a $200 award. There is no entry fee, and the contest is open to all. Submissions must be emailed or postmarked by October 1, 2024. The winning songs will be premiered in worship on February 9, 2025. Learn more here.
Sunday morning scripture readers wanted! All are invited to participate in leading our worship by signing up for reading scripture. We encourage a wide variety of people to participate in this role! Parents, consider signing up with your children and helping them prepare during the week. This is a great way to help children engage in the worship. High school and college-age attendees, consider signing up with a friend. You can access the signup through our website, or directly through this link. You will receive and email reminder and the scripture passage from Maria Stapert on the Wednesday prior to the Sunday when you will be reading so you can prepare at home ahead of time. You can also read the Scripture Readers Guide on our website for more ways to prepare for this important role.
Outreach and Congregational Life
On the Memorial table is a tribute to Lionel Basney, who passed away 25 years ago this week while on vacation in North Carolina. Along with being a caring husband and father, he was a poet, musician, and professor who is still missed by many who knew him.
Friendship ESL needs a morning nursery care associate, September 10-11 and one or two mornings a week thereafter. Can you do this for a month? ESL needs a driver to transport Afghan women living near Breton and 44th to English classes. Can you do this for a month, once or twice a week? (Driving is covered as secondary insurance through COS.) Every small gift of time is an act of fellowship. Call/text Mark Fackler.
Erik Kooyer Remembrance Ride: Erik loved to bike – to work, social events, shopping and to church. Join a group of fellow cyclists on August 25th to honor him with a bike ride to COS. Erik was passionate about cycling and the environment, and he would be overjoyed that we are doing this. We’ll start around 9am at Erik’s family home, 308 Morris SE, and make our way north on Morris, then east on Cherry to Lake Drive. We will continue on Lake until we arrive at the Calvin University campus, using Knollcrest Circle SE, heading under the Beltline to connect with E. Campus Drive. From there we continue to the small trail that picks up just past Zandee tennis courts in the Gainey Athletic Complex and follow it to the Church of the Servant campus. If you can’t make it to the starting point, please consider joining in along the way. We will do our best to take a gentle 10-12 mph pace, so you’ll have a general sense of where we’ll be. If other groups want to form starting south or east of the COS campus, please do some organizing and show up! The hope is to have a whole lot of cyclists show up for worship on August 25th. Any questions, please contact Ben Videtich.
Hard Styrofoam Collection: July 28th through September 4th. Please bring only hard Styrofoam to the collection point in the Cafe. If you need to deliver during the week, do not drop off outside or in the office. Contact Hope Bradley with your questions. Next collections are October 13, 2024 and December 12, 2026.
Meijer Simply Give: Our fall campaign for Meijer Simply Give began June 30 and runs through Saturday, September 28. The Double Match Day will be held on Saturday, September 14th, 2024. (For every $10 Simply Give card purchased on these dates, Meijer will provide an additional contribution of $20, bringing the total to $30 for a single customer purchase.) If you would like to donate to support COS and its food pantry, you may do so by using our online portal to give or by giving cash or check with Simply Give in memo line at Church on Sundays.