This Sunday:
This Sunday, June 12, Rev. Karen Campbell will preach from John 16:12-15. In our Basic English Service in Room 4, Rev. Andrew Mead will preach from John 16:12-15.
The 10 am SES service will be streamed via Zoom.
Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.
Children’s Ministry News:
Summer Age/Grade Levels for Little Lambs and Children’s Worship
3-Year-Olds Through Graduating 1st Graders will be Blessed and Sent to the Children’s Wing. In the summer, we offer 4 classes instead of 5. After the second graders graduate (which happened two weeks ago) we wait until fall to advance all the children to their next-year grade levels. If your 2.5-year-old is already in the habit of attending Little Lambs, they are welcome to continue! If they’ve been enjoying nursery, please continue that routine until the fall, when we advance all the children to match their grade or age level and properly welcome children new to Little Lambs!
Summer Subs Needed for Little Lambs and Children’s Worship
Add a Little Joy to Your Summer by Volunteering With Kids! If you’re willing to occasionally serve in a Children’s Worship or Little Lambs room this summer, please catch me at church, email me at jo.howe@coscrc.org to let me know when you might be available. Summer also a great time to shadow a class and decide if you’d to give children’s ministry a try. I’d love to add more Children’s Worship leaders and assistants to the summer or school year rotation. Thanks for considering it!
Summer Wednesdays 6-8pm
Picnic on the Patio: A Meal for Everyone, Clubs for Big Kids! We’re trying something new this summer—bring your whole family out for a simple meal on the back patio as we “Picnic on the Patio” on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Wednesday nights this summer. After dinner 2nd graders through high schoolers will enjoy Girls Club, Boys Club, Wednesday Night Live, and Youth Group activities while you stay for conversation as the little ones play in the yard, or head home and come back to pick up the big kids at 8pm. We hope these Wednesdays will be a chance to build friendships at COS, invite someone new along, and slow down for a mid-week meal together. Since this programming happens after the school year, but before we usually kick off the new season of ministry in the fall, kids who are on the cusp of transitioning to a new group are welcome to decide whether they’ll remain in their current club, or begin attending the group they’ll be part of in the fall.
Church News:
Estimated Giving for the month of June (includes monthly ach): $31,847
Giving for the month of May: $117,161
Monthly budgeted General Fund Giving is: $118,873
Summer Schedule for Social Seniors: We are meeting every other Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM over the summer, via Zoom. Meeting dates are June 21, July 12, July 26, August 9, August 23, and September 13. All persons interested in casual visiting, sharing spiritual encouragement, and praying for one another and for our church are welcome. For more information, contact Corrie Vos.
Meeting ID: 832 6366 9013
Passcode: COS
COS is looking for a Faith Formation Assistant. This new position would involve 8-10 hours of work per week, assisting the Minister of Faith Formation (Annette Ediger) and/or the Children’s Ministry Coordinator (Jo Howe) with various tasks that will allow our ministries to flourish as vibrant, safe, encouraging and effective ministry spaces. Hours are flexible. This position may require occasional Sunday work but will primarily take place during the work week. For more information, contact Annette Ediger. The goal is to fill this position in June so respond ASAP if interested.
Prisoners in Christ Restorative Justice team invites you to join a zoom conversation about Shane Claiborne’s book Beating Guns this Sunday, June 12, at 8 p.m. We hope to stimulate some interest in taking restorative justice action and to be more than spectators of the events that are taking place around gun violence in our city and country.
Friendship ESL. Imagine, over 1700 people coming into the church, most with little or no notion of what goes on in the CRC or in any American church. Since last September, 1709 immigrants, newcomers, and refugees came into COS for English and cultural learning. On September 13, ESL begins its 12th year at COS. Tutors needed. A library full of resources turns volunteers into tutors. Most tutors come once a week. Think about it. Friends from around the world, and you are one of their rock stars. Contact Mark Fackler, coordinator.
Anchoring our Life Together: To assist in our preparation for Synod, we are sending out weekly meditations. Our larger purpose is to remind us of what are some of the deepest anchors of our life together, the sturdiest pillars upon which our life together is founded. They provide our community stability and purpose, and are important, so we believe, in reminding ourselves of them again—and yet again. Through our doing so the Spirit can assist us in warding off the spiritual drowsiness and amnesia which can so easily overtake a Christian community. These weekly meditations, leading up to Synod in June, will be posted on the COS website, printed on Sundays, and available in the weekly email newsletter. Additionally, we invite you to read this recent letter from the COS council.
JUNETEENTH – The COS Anti-Racism Team encourages all to observe Juneteenth in appropriate ways next weekend –June 19th, but the official holiday is celebrated on Monday the 20th this year. See the COS Anti-Racism webpage for more info about Juneteenth… see a piece on Juneteenth written by Cindy VandeKodde and also find the link to a new short “documentary” about the history of Juneteenth. Check local media for various Juneteenth events, notably the Justice 4 All Juneteenth Jam at Rosa Parks Circle the afternoon of Sunday, June 19th www.iwantjustice4all.com –including vendors, food and celebrations.
From RST: Who feels comfortable buying used cars? COS sponsored a young woman as a refugee from Iraq last November. She has settled into an apartment in Kentwood, acquired a job, improved her English, and secured her driver’s license. However, she lacks a car, and her transportation getting to and from work is costing her $360 per month. She is anxious to purchase a used car and has saved funds for this purpose, but she needs help from someone who feels comfortable advising her in the process of choosing and purchasing a car. If you are interested in loving your neighbor this way, please contact Ruth Lemmen email.
LOST? A table with the lost and found items of the last 6 months or more will be in the cafe today. Please claim your items before June 20, 2022 when all remaining items will be taken to Goodwill.
COS is seeking someone for the role of Church Administrator
Compensation: 30 hours/week starting at $26/hour with benefits
Reports to: Executive Team of Council
Vision: By inhabiting this role through cultivating the gracious spiritual disciplines of reading the word, prayer and collaboration, the church administrator coordinates the key administrative functions of the church. With accountability to the COS executive team, the Church Administrator establishes and maintains regular intra-staff communication to assure the timely delivery and coordination of the key operational functions of the church toward the fulfillment of the church’s vision and mission. Learn more about applying here.