This Sunday at COS:
On this Pentecost season Sunday, Rev. Len Vander Zee will preach from Jeremiah 33:1-11,14-16,19-22 and Luke 1:67-79 in the Tree of Life service in the large sanctuary. Rev. Andrew Mead will preach from Isaiah 25:6-9 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.
Outreach and Congregational Life
Neighbors need neighbors to make a difference. Give blood, save lives and strengthen our community. Be a donor at our blood drive 2-7pm, Monday, July 29, here at Church of the Servant. You can sign up for an appointment at https://donate.michigan.versiti.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/156038 You can literally save someone’s life, and who wouldn’t want to do that? If you have questions, need help signing up, or just need some encouragement to donate for the first time, contact Beth Karanicola or Ruth Huisman. Blood supplies are very low right now, and every donation is very important!
On Sunday July 21, Tony and Allison Westrate will worship with us at the Tree of Life Service and give a brief presentation about their work after the service in the Youth Room. Please join us to catch on what’s happening in their ministry and in their family, and to encourage them. Snacks will be provided.
Mobile Food Pantry: We are looking to add people to the Team Leader rotation for 2025 Mobile Food Pantry truck dates. Are you interested in being a Team Leader for this ministry? Have questions about what is involved with being a Team Leader? Contact Monica Smith or Greg Snow for more information.
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.
Camelot Block Party – Saturday, July 27 from 11:30a-1:30pm, we will join with other churches in our community and Ridge Park Charter School to host the annual Camelot Park Block Party. At this event, we give away backpacks to about 200 students, along with food, music, and activities. This year, we will start with a brief training event at 10:15 am at COS. This training is based on the YES program principles designed to help us see the “face of Christ” in those in need. If you would like to learn more about YES, click here. Immediately following the training, we will complete any food prep and head over to the park for setup. If you are available to help with this event, contact the church office.
Back by popular demand, Summer Movie Night: Take 2 will be Tuesday, July 16 at 7:00 pm in the Living Room “Theater”. We’ll be watching 1944’s Meet Me in St. Louis.
Faith Formation:
Summer Club Ministries on Wednesday, July 17 and 24. Club ministries resume next week with Next Generation and Wednesday Night Hype for children entering 2nd grade-6th grade, and combined WNL and WNLX programming for 7th – 12th graders. Pizza dinner will be available from 6:00-6:30 pm with programming from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm.
Food Pantry Item of the Month: Shampoo. Each month the children’s ministry invites everyone who is able to donate a much-needed personal care item to the COS food pantry. This month’s item is Shampoo. Please deposit new, unused shampoo in the basket labeled, “Shampoo.” at the children’s check-in station cart next to the front door of the church. Involving children in giving is a great way to remind them that God takes care of us and gives us what we need. Our food pantry is one of the ways God provides for our needs.
Stewardship:
Great News! In the month of June, we all gave generously to COS. Our total giving of nearly $112,000 was almost $33,000 more than in June of last year. We also reduced our total expenses last month. Due to our low General Fund balance, we withheld our most of our denominational ministry shares. We have also completed our Christian education tuition support for this calendar year, and that reduces our expenses by another $16,000. As a result, we ended up with a net surplus income of more than $50,000! And our General Fund balance is just short of $70,000. The Council and Finance Committee are very grateful for this development. With your continuing support, we hope we can reach a $100,000 balance by the beginning of September.
Do you have 2 hours on Tuesdays to help with counting and recording the Sunday offering? We are looking for additional people to add to the current roster of volunteers. The primary job task is to ensure all checks and donations are entered into the donor software and a deposit is ready to go to the bank. If you have two hours free on a Tuesday and are looking for a way to support COS’s ministry, please contact AJ Zahrt to get into the weekly rotation.
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 8:30 am. The return trip leaves COS at 12:45 pm. 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.
Updating the Directory: As you take photos this summer, submit your pictures for the next directory printing to office@coscrc.org. Have you updated your address, phone, and/or email since the last directory printing? If so, send that updated information to the church office as well.
Worship:
Preaching Schedule
July 21 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Lucy Gitau
July 28 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
August 4 ANWS – Lucy Gitau, TOL – Rev. Andrew Mead
August 11 ANWS – Debbie Jin, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
Gluten-Free Communion Bread: On Sunday, July 7 we began a switch to all Gluten-Free bread for communion. This coming ministry year, our theme as a congregation will be Fellowship – the second gift in our vision statement. As we share the gift of fellowship (“koinonia”) as a community, we are looking not to our own interests, but to the interests of others. (Phil. 2:4) In our celebration of the Lord’s Supper, we desire that those with gluten allergies and those without can all partake of the same loaf. In this small but significant way, we embrace the oneness we share in Christ and give honor to one another. (1 Cor. 10:17; 12:26) You can read more about our communion practices in this liturgy lesson.
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.
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 next jam session will be held in the sanctuary from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm on Wednesday, August 7.