This Sunday at COS:
Before worship, you’re invited to attend the Worship Leader Training Sunday, October 13 at 9:00 am in the living room (read more below).
On this Creation season Sunday, Rev. Len Vander Zee will preach from Acts 9:1-25 and Exodus 3:1-6 in the Tree of Life service in the large sanctuary. Makema Lwenge will preach from Isaiah 30:15 in the All Nations Worship Service in Room 4.
Following worship, stick around for Sunday School for all Ages. Adult-ed GPS meets in room 5 following the worship services. This week in GPS, we’ll hear from several of Our teens introducing the topic of anxiety by sharing their reactions to the movie Inside Out II.
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
October 20 ANWS – Lucy Gitau, TOL – Rev. Andrew Mead
October 27 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
November 3 Prism Combined Service – Ben Videtich
November 10 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
Sound/AV Volunteer training – October 13: Are you interested in helping with sound and AV during Sunday worship? Come to a training session on October 13 after the service in the large sanctuary, where we’ll cover the basics of running sound, setting up, and managing the video feed for Zoom. The training will be short, and no experience is necessary. If you’d like to attend or know someone who might be interested, let Dave Hartwell know.
Preparing Our Hearts for Worship, October 13 at 9:00 am in the living room – Our 9am hours this year are mostly being led by Harry Plantinga (“Contemplate” / studying a Julian of Norwich book) and Ruth Lemmen (“Cultivate” / learning “Spiritual Practices to Nurture Our Souls”). However, this Sunday the 9am hour will be led by Ron Rienstra. It will fit into Ruth’s series of Spiritual Practices, but it will also serve as our fall training session for liturgists and scripture readers. If you serve as a liturgist or scripture reader, please make space in your day to attend this session. Even if you don’t serve in these roles, this session will be valuable for you, and you are welcome to attend. Ron will lead us through the Spiritual Practice of “Interiorization.” Come find out what this means, and how this practice might help you prepare for worship, as a leader or as a participant. Then please consider signing up to read scripture for a service sometime: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040849ada62babfd0-scripture1#/
Holiday Service Changes – This year we are experimenting with a few changes to our “traditional” holiday services.
Thanksgiving Day – 10:00am Worship at Radical Grace Church (formerly Coit Community Church – 600 Lafayette NE) – For many years we have worshiped together with Radical Grace/Coit on Thanksgiving Day, and we have hosted the service at COS. This year Radical Grace has offered to host the service, with Rev. Andrew Mead preaching. Please join us in worship that morning as we continue to support the work of this church.
Christmas Eve – 7:00pm Communion and Candlelight Service – This year we will have one worship service on Christmas Eve rather than two. The service will be similar to the service formerly held at 11:00pm, but earlier to accommodate families and elderly who were not able to attend a service as late as 11pm. The service will also include some child-friendly elements and is hopefully early enough for young families to attend. The intergenerational story-telling that formerly happened at 5pm on Christmas Eve, will move to the final Sunday of Advent.
Christmas Morning – 10:00am Carol Singing – The time of this service remains the same as in past years, but the format will become less formal, with extended time for singing Christmas carols together.
Music Ensembles: If you are interested in participating in music at COS, check out these schedules. The schedule includes descriptions of each ensemble. If you have any questions about this schedule or about COS worship in general, please don’t hesitate to contact Maria Stapert Vander Berg, Minister of Worship, at maria.stapert@coscrc.org.
Outreach and Congregational Life
October is Pastor Appreciation month. At COS, we would like to recognize Pastor Andrew and Pastor Len with notes and cards of appreciation. For the four Sundays in October, a basket will be on the café counter in which to put your cards.
Medicare Presentation November 3: Are you retired, or about to be? Do you wonder which Medicare plan to choose? Does open enrollment [currently underway] bring you a sense of overwhelm? If any of these apply, come learn from an expert in the field: Dan Sherman. Dan works for Saint Mary’s, and his years of professional experience in the field have equipped him with a thorough understanding of our country’s Medicare system. The up-to-90-minute seminar will be held at 12pm on November 3rd. It’s a Prism Sunday, so bring your food to room 17 [in the ESL hallway] where Dan will present and answer questions. So, bring all your Medicare-related queries! If you’d like to join, please RSVP to Ben: ben.videtich@coscrc.org.
New Members Classes: Are you new or relatively new to Church of the Servant? Or, are you wanting to take a further step in commitment to our congregation’s mission? Whether you’re interested in either learning more about our mission and ministries or officially joining COS, you’re warmly invited to participate in New Members Class. We will meet in the Living Room at the COS building, just to the left of the main entrance as you enter, at 11:45am-12:30pm four Sundays in a row beginning October 20th and continuing until November 10th. Childcare is provided most days. Questions are welcome throughout. Apart from learning about COS, this is also a great opportunity to grow in relationship with others. Contact Ben Videtich at ben.videtich@coscrc.org to join or to ask any questions.
CORE Workshops: Are you actively working on becoming antiracist? We sure hope so! One way to seek justice and grow as a compassionate, caring disciple of Jesus is to participate in a CORE workshop. You’ll learn about unjust systems and how we blindly perpetuate injustices affecting black, indigenous, and all people of color. Much of the content is heavy and painful, but amidst the difficulty you’ll learn how to engage in meaningful ways and how to examine and challenge narratives, cultures, and systems oppressing and marginalizing so many of God’s children. The next CORE Workshop is October 24-26 here at Church of the Servant. And if you are a member at COS, the registration fee is covered by our Anti-Racism and Congregational Life Budget. Find more detail in this link. Thank you for considering this great opportunity for discipleship. Please feel free to provide the link to your contacts and bring a friend.
October Classic Movie Night’s film is 1935’s musical Top Hat. American dancer Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) comes to London to star in a show produced by the bumbling Horace Hardwick (Edward Everett Horton). While practicing a tap dance routine in his hotel bedroom, he awakens Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers) on the floor below. She storms upstairs to complain, whereupon Jerry falls hopelessly in love with her and proceeds to pursue her all over London. Songs by Irving Berlin include “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails” and “Cheek to Cheek” which have become American song classics. COS Living Room Theater showing is Tuesday, October 15 at 6:30pm. Popcorn and lemonade provided. $1 suggested donation.
English speaker wanted! Reza Mirzai is seeking an English “tutor” for his wife Mahizer at their home on 243 Bradford NE once per week. She speaks Azerbaijani and would like someone to come over and converse with her in English. Please let Reza and Mahizer know if you can help. (616)308-4513.
Office and Facilities:
Fall Workday Saturday, October 19 at 9:00am, will be COS’s annual Fall Workday. Projects for all ages and skill levels. List of tasks planned will be available soon. (If weather is not good in October, the back-up date planned is Saturday, November 16.)
The next 2 COS hard Styrofoam collections will be October 13th thru 20th and January 12th thru 19th. Hard Styrofoam must have all stickers and tape removed before dropping it at church. Restaurant containers. meat trays, packaging, foam cups, etc. are not accepted. An alternative to holding your Styrofoam for the collection dates is to deliver it to Michigan Foam, 1820 Chicago Dr. SW, Wyoming, MI 49519. They are open weekdays 8-5 except holidays.
Faith Formation:
GPS this Sunday: Our teens will introduce the topic of ANXIETY by sharing their reactions to the movie Inside Out II, followed by responses and the calming guidance of three COS therapists. You don’t have to have seen the movie to enjoy and benefit from this session.
GPS Next Sunday: Talking About Suicide. It is hard but important to talk about this very painful topic that has touched so many people in one way or another, including our church family recently. Our COS mental health support team will discuss aspects of what suicide is, why it happens, who is affected, how we respond, how we grieve, how to support the grieving, and the necessary soul work for finding our way after such a severe loss.
The “Questions” group will meet again this Wednesday 6:30 to 8 in the living room. Everyone invited to come with your questions about Christianity, the Bible, and the church. This week we will focus on questions related to the Bible.
Volunteer Safety Training via Zoom: Oct. 14 at 5:30pm & Oct. 17 at 7:00 pm For volunteers who missed our in-person safety trainings, please plan to attend one of the zoom meetings this coming! The zoom link has been sent by email through our scheduling system, so if you did not see it in your inbox, please reach out to Jo Howe by phone or email (jo.howe@coscrc.org ) for the link. This training is essential to our efforts to ensure COS is a safe and nurturing place for children. If you are unable to attend either of these meetings, Jo will reach out to schedule a time to meet and go over the policies together.
COS Food Pantry Item of the Month: Toothbrushes. This month the children’s ministry is collecting toothbrushes to help restock this essential personal care item in our food pantry. If you are able to donate a new toothbrush, you’ll find a basket on the children’s cart next to the front door of the church.
Please Help Prevent Running in the Cafe and Artery. If you’ve noticed some additional wiggle room in the cafe since swapping the round tables for rectangle tables, you’re not the only one… It seems the open pathway has become a tempting runway for kids. If you notice anyone running (or speedwalking) in the cafe or artery, please take a moment to ask them to slow down for everyone’s safety.