This Sunday at COS:
On this Creation season Sunday, Rev. Andrew Mead will preach from Acts 8:26-40 and Isaiah 56:3-7 in the COS worship service at Wabasis Lake Campground. Rev. Jack Roeda will preach from Psalm 19 in COS service in the large sanctuary.
The 10 am service at COS will also be broadcast via Zoom. Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.
Outreach and Congregational Life
The International Women’s (ESL) Bible study began on September 19 at 10 a.m. to 11:30. We will be studying discipleship through “The Sermon on the Mount: Living Jesus’ Way.” Childcare is provided. For more information, please contact Barbara Hampton.
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.
Friendship ESL, fall term, 2024, a splendid launch: a full roster of tutors, volunteer drivers, nursery care attendants, and… a lot of students, morning and evening. Average attendance in these first three weeks — if this keeps up — COS will need another wing of classrooms. Blessings all around.
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.
Office and Facilities:
Fall Workday Saturday, October 19 at 9:00am, will be COS’s annual Fall Work Day. 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.
Worship:
Preaching Schedule
October 6 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Travis West
October 13 ANWS – Makema Lwenge, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
October 20 ANWS – Lucy Gitau, TOL – Rev. Andrew Mead
October 27 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
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.
Faith Formation:
Sunday Sept. 29: Worship at Wabasis Lake and COS. Worship Help Bags Available, but No Children’s Programming or Sunday School. Since our congregation (including families and volunteers) will be spread between COS and Wabasis, leaders are not scheduled for Little Lambs or Children’s Worship on Sunday, Sept. 29th. Instead, children will remain with their families in congregational worship and will have an additional craft to the green worship-help bags, which will be available in both locations. The Nursery will be open, but unstaffed, so parents are welcome to bring infants and toddlers to the nursery but must remain with them. There is a dial on the wall of the nursery that allows the service to come through the speaker if you’d like to listen in from there. Likewise, the service is broadcast in the Living Room, where a Kids Cart will be available with puzzles, coloring books, and blocks so this space could be available for kids with parent supervision as well. If you make it out to Wabasis Lake, we will have a few Bible-themed nature crafts and activities throughout the weekend.
Sunday School: Every Sunday in October! 11:45am-12:30pm. Sunday school continues Next week for children and adults ages 4 and up. Nursery care will be provided for children under 4. Please encourage kids to finish their cookies and juice before bringing them to their classrooms at 11:45am. You’ll find the classroom for ages 4-6th grade located in the hallway at the back of the sanctuary. Please plan to pick them up again at 12:30pm. Sunday school for middle schoolers is in the classroom next to the nursery, high schoolers will meet in the youth room, and GPS (adult education) is in Fellowship 5. There will be no Sunday school next week due to the Wabasis Lake camping trip, but we’ll be back in full swing after that, with Sunday school every Sunday in October (even the first Sunday!).
Wednesday Night Programming and Meals Continue Wednesday, Oct. 2!
5:30-6:30 Meal, 6:30-8:30 Programming. It’s time again for fellowship, fun, and spiritual formation on Wednesday nights! We begin with a home-cooked meal at 5:30pm and continue with programs for 2nd graders through adults, with nursery care available for young children.
Next Generation & Wednesday Night Hype (2nd-6th Grade). We offer two clubs for this age group; each focus on building faith-nurturing relationships with peers and adults who care. Both include a time for devotions, games or team building, and an activity, craft, or project. The clubs differ in energy level. Wednesday Night Hype is high energy–with projects and activities that wrap up in 1-2 weeks and games that work up a sweat! Next Generation is chill—with projects that span several weeks, and games or activities aimed at building connections. Children who are new to Wednesday night programming are welcome to give each club a try before choosing the one that connects. Helping kids experience a sense of belonging is a big part of our Wednesday night ministries, so we hope kids will choose a program they’ll stick with for the season so they can get to know the other kids and leaders and deepen friendships over the whole year of programming. Please reach out Jolanda Howe if you have any questions or would like to learn more about these programs.
New Parents with Young Kids Group on Wednesday Nights! This year we plan to open space for parents to spend time together connecting as their older children are in programming. We know some younger siblings prefer not to leave their parents, so we’re working on a solution that will allow parents to be nearby while kids play together. Look for an email from Jolanda with more details!
Stewardship:
A note of gratitude: The COS deacons recently provided emergency financial assistance for a family in the neighborhood that was facing eviction. This week we received a note from the father that said, “I am all caught up and back on track. I truly appreciate everyone for making this possible. I was just able to really enjoy sleeping this week. My children are able to just be kids again.” Thank you from the deacons to all those who contribute to the COS Benevolence Fund. Your gifts make a difference in people’s lives.