This Sunday:
This Sunday, April 17, we celebrate Christ’s resurrection in our Easter Services. Our 10 am Prism service will begin with a procession of flowers to dress the communion table. It is our custom at COS to bring potted plants and flowers from our homes to process in and “dress” the communion table. We will then gather the flowers to brighten the Easter Brunch tables (12 pm) in the fellowship space.
In morning worship, Rev. Andrew Mead will preach from Luke 24:1-12.
Following the service, Following the service, we welcome you to join our annual Easter Brunch. Here are some more details on the brunch:
Place your food in the café on one of the serving tables before the service. Have the food ready to be served—things cut, sliced, uncovered. The ovens and fridge in the kitchen will be available as will serving spoons and knives. Enjoy the spectacular Easter service and then head to the café to enjoy fellowship together. Don’t forget to pick up your flowers from the front of the church to help ‘dress’ the café and then take your flowers home. Your serving dish will be on a table near the kitchen.
Last names beginning:
A – E bread, muffins, bars or cookies
F – K veggies
L – R fruit
S – Z something brunchy—egg dish, deviled eggs, etc
Easter evening, we will gather at 6 pm for our testimony service. Evening worship will center on individual testimonies and reflections on the resurrection.
The 10 am service will be streamed via Zoom.
Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.
Church News:
Current Giving for the month of April (includes monthly ACH): $57,591.32
Giving for the month of March: $86,662.36
Monthly budgeted General Fund Giving is: $118,873
Are you new or relatively new to Church of the Servant? If you’re interested in either officially joining COS or in learning more about the mission and ministries here, you’re warmly invited to participate in the Spring New Members Class. We will meet in the Living Room at the COS building at 11:45am-12:30pm four Sundays in a row beginning April 24th, ending on May 15th. If you choose to join as a member, vows are on Pentecost – June 5th. Even during these late pandemic days the church is moving forward, so if you are interested in learning more or signing up, contact Ben Videtich at ben.videtich@coscrc.org. Note to families: child care is provided.
“Hungering for God” – GPS Series (April 24-May 22, 2022). We have been created with the incredible means to be in communion with God. This class will examine some foundational principles and practices of Christian spirituality. Whether this is your first time to explore the spiritual life or you are further along the journey there will be new and challenging insights for all. Each week will include teaching on a different aspect of cultivating one’s relationship with God as well as a specific spiritual discipline that will be practiced. The topics for the five Sundays are:
Week 1: Principles for Knowing God (Nature of Christian spirituality, there are no experts in the spiritual life. Spiritual practice of attentiveness)
Presenter: Tom Schwanda, ordained RCA minister, professor of Christian spirituality, and spiritual director.
It’s Grad Basket season! Every year, COS has the tradition of giving gifts to our graduating high school seniors to prepare them for the next step of their journey. This year we will be celebrating 15 graduates! Armed with a Bible, a laundry basket, and gift cards we are hopeful that our seniors will take their next steps knowing that their church family loves them and that God will be with them. For the month of April, Annette will be collecting money for these graduates. The money will be used to purchase gift cards, Bibles, and laundry baskets for each of the students. Donations can be made by the grad basket table in the Café, through Venmo (@churchoftheservant), online (Grad Basket link), or by writing “Grad Basket” in the memo line of a check made payable to Church of the Servant. Thanks in advance for caring so well for these children of the church!
OPPORTUNITY FOR PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT AT COS- Church of the Servant will hire a much-needed Coordinator for the Refugee Support Team and the ministries to refugees and recent immigrants. Our primary focus in this area has been on resettlement, and there is expectation of a significant (and imminent) increase in numbers of approved refugees (including family members of current COS/BES folks). The job requires experience and skills in administrative leadership and is currently funded at $15 per hour and 10 hours per week. For details see the links to a job description and supporting materials here. If you would like more information, or to submit your credentials (resume and cover letter) please contact Joel Westmaas of the Refugee Support team, or Marc Beversluis, Chair of Deacons.
Tree of Life artwork…..Sept 17-18, 2022. Save the date. Start creating !
COS Artists/creatives: You’re invited to be part of the COS Anniversary celebration by creating a wonderful work with the theme “Tree of Life.” The Artery is reserved for this special exhibit for September and October. Paintings, drawings, weavings, fiber—-all kinds of 2-D art. If you have 3-D work you would like to exhibit, please let us know so we can figure display issues. Reserve Sept 17 and 18 for the 50th Anniversary celebration. Many wonderful, memorable events will take place then. The show itself will go up the week before Sept. 17 and remain on display thru Oct. 23.
More details will follow, but art takes time to create so the committee wanted you to get the wheels turning. If you have questions before that contact Betsy Ratzsch. Liturgical art from the past will also be on display as well throughout the church.
Sign-ups for listening circles for the Human Sexuality Report. Thank you to those who completed interest cards and your feedback. Sign-up is now available for the last round of listening circles that COS will offer prior to the meeting of Synod this June. We will be offering weekly circles on Sundays from 11:30 am-12:30 pm on April 24, May 1, May 8, 15, and 22. We will now offer an additional evening listening circle on Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30 pm starting April and meeting every week for five weeks – April 26, May 3, 10, 17, and 24. There will be sign-up forms available at the back of the sanctuary, or you are welcome to contact the church office, 956-7611, Pam Bratt, Dale Cooper, or Stacy Steen to sign up. You will also be able to sign up online here.
Social Seniors continues to meet on Tuesdays at 10:00 via Zoom. All are welcome. For more information, contact Corrie Vos.
Meeting ID: 832 6366 9013
Passcode: COS
COS Spring Work Days – Saturday, April 23, 10am till 4pm and Monday, May 2 4pm till Dusk. We will be Raking Winter debris, Weeding border gardens, Planting new plants, Trimming hedges, Building a new compost bin, and Removing brush. All ages welcome. Bring garden tools, gloves and hat. Arrive when you can and enjoy fellowship as we prepare the COS grounds and the Community Garden for the Summer. If it is raining or below 40 degrees, the event will be canceled. Coordinator: Hope Bradley.
Seeking Shalom: Affordable Housing and Immigration Practical Next Steps: Do you long for your church to do more about justice issues such as affordable housing and immigration? If so, please save 7 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, April 26, 2022 for this important event featuring Keynote Speaker: Artie Lindsay, TCC pastor of spiritual formation and Grand Rapids Nehemiah Center president, and Panelists who include: Affordable housing experts from ICCF, LINC UP, and 70×7; Immigration experts from Church World Services, Interfaith Immigration Coalition, and Samaritas. This event provides the opportunity for your church to Learn together about specific ways your congregation can promote affordable housing and welcome immigrants and refugees in West Michigan. Registration is free. Register online here.
COS and Coit Community Church are partners with Project GREEN through the Pay-It-Forward program. The COS deacons encourage people from high school students to elders, and all in between, to attend the second annual Project GREEN Economic Empowerment conference “Minding Your Money at Any Age!” on Saturday, April 23. either in-person at GRCC’s M-TEC or virtually. In-person location: GRCC M-TEC, 622 Godrey Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. To register or for more information, visit here or contact Carol Rienstra.