This Sunday at COS:
On this Creation season Sunday, Rev. Andrew Mead will preach from Acts 2:37-47 and Isaiah 55:1-5 in the Tree of Life service in the large sanctuary. Charles Rugiramorora will preach from Matthew 24:35 and Mark 16:18 in the All Nations Worship Service in room 4.
This Sunday, 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.
The 10 am Tree of Life service will also be broadcast via Zoom. Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.
Faith Formation:
Wed., Sept. 18 – Join us for another “COS Night at the Movies!” The COS Mental Health Committee, GPS Team, Faith Formation ministries, and the Loeks family are partnering up to offer COS friends and family the opportunity to see Inside Out 2 at Celebration Cinema North on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 6pm at the deeply discounted rate of $5/person. This important film deals with the topics like anxiety, envy, and shame—emotions that are so prevalent in our society. While this film delves into the emotions of adolescence, any of us who struggle with anxiety or shame (or have loved ones who struggle) will benefit from watching this film. The Mental Health Team will be presenting in GPS later this fall and will reference this movie, so attending this movie will not only help us lean into our theme of fellowship, but also lead to more robust discussion in our October GPS sessions. Tickets are limited. Sign up in the café soon!
Looking for thoughtful, intentional spaces to foster your spiritual growth? Join us in the Living Room on Sundays for the 9am Hour at COS. Two different 9am classes will be offered this fall beginning September 22. These classes will rotate: “Contemplate” with Harry will meet one week, then “Cultivate” with Ruth will meet the following week, beginning September 22. (No class will be offered Sept. 29 due to COS camping weekend.)
Contemplate: A study of Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love
Discover the profound wisdom of Julian of Norwich’s “Revelations of Divine Love” in our intimate biweekly study group this fall.
Join us as we explore this groundbreaking work—the first known book in English written by a woman—and delve into its surprising and radically optimistic vision of sin, suffering, salvation and, most of all, God’s love.
We’ll read, discuss, and meditate on Julian’s insights, allowing her 14th-century mystical experiences to illuminate our modern spiritual journeys.
This group, led by Harry Plantinga, will meet Sunday mornings at 9:00 am, every other week, from September 22 to December 15. A copy of Revelations of Divine Love is required for this class. Copies are available in the café at the special COS price of $10.
Cultivate: Spiritual Practices to Nurture our Souls
Each Cultivate gathering will focus on a spiritual practice–some ancient, some newer, some involving creativity or movement.
Gatherings will include moments of guided silence and opportunities for you to be present to God through the practice, with the option to share some reflections with the rest of the group.
You’ll leave with ideas for continuing the practice at home.
Any resources needed for these sessions will be provided during each session so no need to prepare in advance. The fall sessions, led by Ruth Lemmen, will meet Sundays at 9am, every other week, from Oct. 13-Dec. 22 and will center on the theme of God and us.
Stewardship:
Good News! Our giving for July came to $88,416, while monthly expenses were only $77,764. Therefore, our General Fund balance rose again to $87.014. This is about $55,000 more than last year at this time, giving us a healthy balance to begin our new fiscal year in September.
Nevertheless, our total income is less than we budgeted for. The reason we have some surplus now is because we have not had a second pastor for several months and we have not contributed all the denominational ministry shares we had budgeted.
Our building capital reserve fund now has more than $300,000 available. The next big project will be the replacement of the wooden exterior doors, coming soon.
Outreach and Congregational Life
Hannah Kummer, COS’s missionary working with immigrants in Italy, will be with us on Sept 15. After the service, she and her husband Ben would love to meet people over a backyard bbq. They’ll give more information about their work and invite us to deeper connections and support for their ministry. The bbq will be at Albert and Carolyn Strydhorst’s home. If you would like to attend the bbq and meet with Hannah and Ben, please contact Carolyn before Wednesday Sept 11.
The COS Antiracism Team anticipates another timely and vision-producing book from Jermar Tisby. The team appreciates Tisby’s efforts for assisting congregations in antiracism work. We have preordered this book and you will soon find it on the Red Antiracism Library Bookshelf in the Cafe. In learning of this book, the antiracism team also read a very good endorsement about this book by Kristin DuMez. She has given us permission to reprint the article, found here.
Below is an excerpt from the encouraging piece that Kristin wrote about this book:
“Next week, Jemar Tisby’s The Spirit of Justice releases. I’ve admired Jemar’s work since I first heard him speak, back before he published his first book, The Color of Compromise. Like that book, this book is beautifully written, clear, concise, and accessible. It would be a great book to discuss with friends, in a book group, or to read on your own. Like The Color of Compromise, it’s a work of history. So why this book, why now?
The Spirit of Justice is a book about resilience. About resisting racism, about crafting a more just society, about loving your neighbors, about acts of everyday courage. It’s a book about ordinary people who stood for what was right.”
Movie Night – Tuesday, September 17 at 6:30pm, we will gather in the COS Living Room Theater to watch 1944’s Arsenic and Old Lace. This screwball comedy where Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) discovers his two aunts have been murdering “lonely old bachelors by ending their “suffering”.” With a crazy uncle who believes he is Teddy Rosevelt and a cast of other characters, Arsenic and Old Lace is another classic film directed by Frank Capra. Although their house is the nicest in the street, there are bodies in the basement. That inconsistency is a metaphor for the country’s struggle to reconcile the violence of much of its past with the pervasive myths about its role as a beacon of freedom. Popcorn and lemonade provided. $1 suggested donation.
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.
Drivers needed: In January 2020, COS helped to welcome and resettle an Afghan refugee family in Grand Rapids. The two women in the family, Nasima (mother, age 65) and Rahima (daughter, age 30) are planning to resume attending COS ESL classes twice a week, starting September 10. They also have an opportunity to participate in programs twice a month at the West Michigan Friendship Center. Both Nasima and Rahima are eager to get started on the program and classes they enjoyed last year. We have one driver committed to pick them up at their Breton and Burton apartment and take them to class on Tuesdays. We need one more driver to sign up to do the same on Wednesdays, at 9:15 am. Can you help these women get to ESL this Fall? Please call Joel Westmaas at 616-570-8661 if you would like to volunteer.
SoupsOn! COS is embracing the theme of “Fellowship” this year, and what better way to experience fellowship than to share a meal. To honor this theme,COS will be reviving our “Soup’s On” ministry—a fellowship ministry that last took place about 20 years ago. Here’s how it works: one Sunday a month, Ben Videtich and Annette Ediger have arranged for 2 or 3 hosts to invite people to their home after Sunday school for a simple meal. (Soup is certainly a possibility but not a requirement!) Each host site will indicate how many guests they can accommodate and a sign up sheet will be posted in the café the week before and the day of the meal. These hosts would love to connect with new friends and old acquaintances so don’t hesitate to sign up if there are seats available! Note: one of the Host Sites each month is dedicated to our College and Young Adult Crowd. The other two sites are for anyone else. The first SoupsOn event will take place Sunday, Sept. 15. Hosts for Sept. 15: Tom & Melodie Kennedy serving a vegetarian meal for 12 College & Young Adults, Dave & Karen Koetje serving a vegetarian meal for 6, and Rhonda Mejuer & Jeff Jackson will also be serving a meal in their home for 6 more people. Reserve your spot in the café today!
Worship:
Preaching Schedule
September 15 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
September 22 ANWS – Rev. Andrew Mead, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
September 29 Campground – Rev. Andrew Mead, at COS – Rev. Jack Roeda
October 6 ANWS – TBD, TOL – Rev. Andrew Mead
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.
Office and Facilities:
2024-25 Church Directory: Turn in your pictures for the September 2024 directory by Friday, September 6 by emailing office@coscrc.org or dropping a hard copy off in the office for scanning. If you bring a hard copy, make sure your name is written on the back.
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.