Happening This Sunday
Easter Sunday we will hold two combined worship services in the Large Sanctuary at 8:30am & 11:00am. Morning worship begins 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.
Parents: Children’s Worship and Little Lambs will not be offered Easter morning to allow children and our volunteers to worship with their families.
At 10am, following the 8:30am service, we will hold our annual Easter Brunch! As is our tradition, the brunch will be held from 10-11am between the worship services and everyone is welcome! Please bring delicious food to share. Breads, muffins, veggies, fruit, egg dishes, or brownies, are all welcome. Have things cut and ready to be served. Punch and coffee will be available.
Sunday evening at 6pm in the large sanctuary we will hear the testimonies of Dick DeYoung, Chad Engbers, and Kim Nguyen. Don’t miss it!
Next Sunday
Are you interested in becoming a member of Church of the Servant? Please join us next Sunday, April 28, for a luncheon from 11:45-1:00. No need to bring anything but we do ask that you sign up on the café welcome table or contact Chris Klein at chris.klein@coscrc.org. This will be an introduction to COS and a time of getting acquainted and then, if you are interested in joining, there will be 3 additional meetings on May 5, 12 and 19.
Youth News
Sunday, April 28: 9am Sunday School: Gender & Sexuality Series Wrap Up – A panel of COS members with varying perspectives on LGBTQ and the church talks about how to move forward together.
After Worship: 4 for 4! Stick around after worship for lunch in the youth room (1st activity) followed by your choice of 3 other activities: baking (& discussion), board games, or “sporty” game.
Our Serve First project for May will take place on Monday, May 6 (not Saturday, May 4). We will help get the COS grounds ready for Summer. Work begins at 4 and goes until 8pm. Pizza provided! Come when you can, leave when you must.
Church News
The Thursday Bible study meets this week Thurs. April 25 to discuss Esther 7-8, Falling and Rising: Switched and Speeding to the End.
ESL at COS — New people continue to come, from South Korea, Iraq, Somalia, Egypt, India and Ethiopia. Now is an excellent time for anyone thinking about September-December 2019 to get acquainted with the program. We end for the summer on May 23. Visit us now; join us in the fall.
The COS community garden (behind the church, between the solar array and playground) has some 4-by-8-foot plots available to anyone who will promise to tend their space at least once a week. Gardeners are a mix of native English speakers and refugees, and it’s fun to learn from each other.
Be a Beacon of Hope! Share your gift of life with someone who really needs help and hope! Plan to donate at our next Blood Drive in three weeks: Monday, May 13, 2-7pm. You can make an appointment now by calling 866-642-5663 or by visiting versiti.org (Michigan Blood under a new name). Also, a sign-up poster will be in the cafe area next week. Thank you!
May ARTery Gallery Opening Event | Featured Artist Janis Carpenter
Mark your calendars for Monday, May 13, 7pm for our next gallery opening event, featuring COS artist Janis Carpenter. All proceeds of Janis’ artwork go to support Schools for Sierra Leone. The event is free with a suggested donation of $5/person. The evening will feature a conversation with the artist, live music, and a chance to peruse the gallery over appetizers and wine (available by purchase of drink ticket). Please join us for this wonderful opportunity to experience art in community! RSVPs on our COS facebook event page are appreciated.
In the late summer of 1975, nearly 44 years ago, COS sponsored its first refugee family. It was a family of seven people in three generations. After relocating to warmer climates, we lost track of them. Members of that family, Ms. Kim Pham and Mr. Luckinh Nguyen recently wrote COS to thank us for resettling them and helping them launch successful lives and careers in the US and included a generous contribution. Their letter and several related documents and pictures can be found on the COS website. Praise God for his blessing and protection upon this family.
Seniors, join us in a small group (meeting for 9 weeks), to explore Aging Matters, “flourishing and bearing fruit” (Ps. 92:14) in the retired years, Sign-up for your preferred meeting time in the cafe. Questions? Jeanette Sprik will be in the cafe following worship. Books will be ordered.
Gender and Sexuality Acceptance Group Meeting -Group meeting: Wednesday, April 24, 6:30pm, The Glass Room (off the sanctuary). Please note that our meetings are open to everyone at COS but that meetings are safe spaces for support and planning, not spaces for debate.
The Refugee Support Team has identified an immediate need for sponsors for three new Congolese refugee families that are now attending BES. The ideal sponsors would be members of COS households who have hearts for ministry and could come alongside these folks as friends and mentors for a period of six months. If your household would like to help with this urgent need, please contact Chris Klein at # or Nita VanderBerg at #. Asante sana!
Planning for Peace of Mind – Monday, May 6, 7pm at COS. It’s a women’s night out! Join special guests Amy Bakker Baty, J.D. (estate planning attorney, Barnabas Foundation) and Andrea Prince Karsten (financial advisor) for a candid and informative conversation for women of all walks of life, whether single, married, widowed or divorced. Gain practical, confidence-building insight on money and planning — from Scripture and the experience of other women. Learn more and register at www.BarnabasFoundation.com/PeaceofMind. There is no cost for this event, but please help us prepare by registering in advance.
General Fund Giving Report
March 2019 Actual
Receipts $ 139,333
Expenditures 115,439
Income (Loss) $ 23,894
The general fund balance on March 31 was reported at $67,249.
2018-19 Monthly budgeted receipts were expected to be $119,028. This requires general fund giving to be $29,757 each week. Our February receipts were $139,333. This was a weekly average of $27,866.
Last Sunday’s total, plus the weekly online giving, totaled $25,872. So our total monthly giving as of April 15 is at $54,551. Thank you for your faithful giving for the COS ministries!