Pentecost Season, Week of Sunday, August 2, 2020
On Sunday, August 2, we will continue to worship in homes, individually, but still as one body as we seek to be prisms of God’s light in liturgy and in life. This week Nicole Romero will bring us a message based on the scriptures of Genesis 32:22-31 and Romans 9:1-5. Each week we will add a new post that includes a house church liturgy, messages from the pastors, resources for leaders, and media to accompany worship. Resources, videos, and liturgies can be found on the Church of the Servant website at coscrc.org/category/housechurch
Outdoor Worship: On Sunday, August 2 at 6pm, we will hold our first small, outdoor worship service. These evening services will be held on Sundays August 2, 9, 16, & 23 at 6pm in addition to our Sunday morning Zoom services. We’ll gather in safe distances in the COS courtyard area. Please bring a chair or blanket to sit on, and plan on wearing a mask and staying with your family. Bathroom use is discouraged. Despite these restrictions, we hope to encourage and refresh one another with the fellowship of believers and the presence of the Lord.
Sign up here for the Aug. 2 Outdoor worship service
Some notes about the service:
- To encourage social distancing and safety, the service is limited to 100 participants.
- There will be no corporate singing and no communion – but we do invite people to participate in the spoken liturgy.
- Children are welcome but bear in mind there are no specific children’s programming.
- Masks will be required during the service as well as when entering and exiting the area.
- Please bring your own chair. Umbrellas are recommended for shade.
At last Sunday’s congregational meeting (and the subsequent voting), the congregation unanimously approved the recommended slate of elders and deacons. The 2020 -2021 budget and COS Bylaws were also approved at this time. We thank God for providing for the life and leadership of his church.
Children’s Ministry
COS Children’s Ministry Facebook Group. Did you know we have a new COS Facebook for families with kids ages 0-6th grade!?! If not, please join! You’ll find it here. This is a closed group, so only those who join the group can read the posts or see the videos or pictures posted within. I often post the weekly Bible story and midweek storybook video to this group and ideas for engaging these stories for the rest of the week. It’s a great way to interact and connect!
Weekly Email: Parents or grandparents, please email me at Jo.Howe@coscrc.org if you aren’t receiving a weekly email Children’s Ministry email. The email goes out on Saturday or Sunday with information about the stories for the week and anything else that’s happening for kids.
Church News
Financial Update – Last week’s offering and online giving: $18,726.12
Total Giving for the month of July (Est. because we may receive more online giving) $95,656.24. Our monthly General Fund budget is $119,028.
Jan-June 2020 contribution statements were recently emailed. Contributors with no emails on file will receive a mailed statement.
Dark Times: Deep Grace Join us on Facebook live in the COS Facebook group each Wednesday at 8.30 pm as we read psalms of lament and pray in creative ways together. The time together includes songs, art, and words of lament as we navigate these difficult times with a sense of deep grace. You can view previous Dark Times Deep Grace videos online here.
GOT BLOOD? Give some. People need people – we urge you to donate soon. Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, there is an immediate need for blood donors to ensure a safe supply. After careful consideration, we have decided to not host an August drive in our building. However, we strongly encourage willing donors to sign up for an appointment at the Versiti Blood Center on Fuller Ave in Grand Rapids, or Wilson Ave in Grandville. These Centers have sound safety protocols in place and offer many options of days and times to schedule your appointment. [If you last donated before May 24, you are eligible to donate now.] Thank you for your lifesaving gift! –Beth Karanicola & Ruth Huisman, COS Blood Drive Co-Chairs.
https://donate.michigan.versiti.org/donor/schedules/centers
The COS Prisoners in Christ (PinC) and Antiracism and Reconciliation (ARRT) teams invite you to join a congregation-wide effort to pray regularly and learn more about racial injustice. A cart with resources from the COS Anti-racism library will be located just outside the main doors of the church weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please stop by and borrow a book or DVD. If you have questions, contact Jolanda Howe, a member of the COS Anti-racism and Reconciliation Team, at (616) 238-1324.
From CORR: At the beginning of 2020, CORR was stepping into a new curriculum – new content and a new mode of delivery. We were excited to be able to share this with you and the feedback from the first workshops done in 2020 was very positive. Then, we had to cancel April’s workshop…and then June’s…in the hopes that we would be able to convene in person workshops again soon. Yet, it’s clear now that is likely not going to happen for awhile. The trainers have been working hard to shape the curriculum into a format that can be delivered virtually. We are happy to say that this has been accomplished and we are ready to offer it to you!
Read the full message, with information on upcoming workshops here.
In an effort to encourage Psalm-singing, Church of the Servant invites congregational songwriters to submit a Psalm-based song to its 2020 COS New Psalm Contest. 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, 2020. The winning songs will be premiered in worship on January 31, 2021. This contest is made possible by a generous donation in memory of Ben Fackler, who loved all things musical. Learn more at: https://www.churchoftheservantcrc.org/2020-cos-new-psalm-contest/