This Sunday:

This Sunday, August 8, in indoor worship at COS, Rev. Ruth Lemmen will preach from 2 Samuel 11:26-2:13 in the standard English service with a sermon titled: “I Have Sinned”. Rev. Karen Campbell will preach in the Basic English Service in Room 5.

We invite you to sign up to attend the morning service. The 10 am service will also be live via Zoom. Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.

Children’s Ministries:

Welcome to Church of the Servant! If you are visiting this morning, our children’s ministry coordinator is on vacation this week, but she plans to be back next Sunday to meet you. Here are some of the ways our congregation cares for children and invites them to worship and grow in our midst: 

  • Nursery for children ages 0-2 is available in the hallway on the on the southwest side of the building. As you walk into the sanctuary through the main doors, turn left and the hallway leading to the nursery will be just before reaching the other entrance. Nametags and parent/caregiver pickup tickets are available right inside the main entrance of the church at the children’s welcome station or in the nursery.  You may drop your children off at the nursery before worship begins or at any time during the service. Or, your little one is welcome to stay with you!  
  • Children ages 3-7 (or first grade graduates) are invited to begin worship in the standard English or basic English worship space before being blessed and invited to continue worship in the children’s wing. In the summer we offer Little Lambs for 3-5 year-olds and the Jesus Storybook Bible video curriculum for our 6-7 year-olds. During the school year, starting in September, children as young as 2.5 are invited to hear and respond to God’s word in Little Lambs, and children in Kindergarten-2ndGrader’s in our Young Children and Worship Program. These programs offer children an opportunity to worship in an age-appropriate way, and also prepare them to participate in congregational worship. You are welcome, but not expected to accompany your children to the children’s wing to help
  • Children who are in third grade and beyond are invited to worship wholeheartedly with the congregation. We offer doodle boards, children’s bulletins, and a simple craft in the hopes that children will participate in every way possible and use these helps to keep their hands active as their hearts and minds attend to the listening portions of the service.  
  • Beginning in 5th grade children are welcome to begin serving as assistants in our Little Lambs program to help nurture the faith of younger children!

Although we designate age ranges for certain programs, we know each child unique–fearfully and wonderfully made by God! Our children’s ministry coordinator, Jolanda Howe, is eager to see your kids grow in faith and thrive. Give her a call at 616-238-1324 to let her know what would help your family feel welcome, loved, and cared for here at COS.

Time to Imagine and Pray

August is the month for praying, imagining, and discerning what our children’s ministry will look like in the year to come. Please join in praying that the Spirit will draw together teams of Christ-loving people to journey in faith with our kids as leaders of Little Lambs, Children’s Worship, Boys Club, Girls Club, Kid’s Club, and Sunday school. Please join in imagining the faith of children, gathered on Sunday mornings with peers and adults who love them, listening to the stories of faith, seeing themselves in the wooden figures, responding to God with wonder and art! The joy of children, gathered on Wednesday nights with kids and adults who love them, belly laughing as they play games, share stories, and make something together. The “Aha!” moments when a child says something that echoes in our hearts as the voice of God speaking truth. As we imagine, let’s pray to the God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us–for a clear path to gather, grow, serve, bless, and be blessed in Christian community and ministry this fall.  

Church News:

Financial Update: Last week’s offering and online giving:  $11,115.18

Current Giving for the month August: $11,115.18

Estimated Giving for July: $83,974.06

Monthly budgeted General Fund Giving is:  $112,926

The Council is pleased to present the Elder and Deacon nominees who have agreed to serve beginning Sept 2021 for a three-year term.

Elders:  Kim Benedict, Bill Harris, Kurt Schaefer

Deacons:  Eve Clayton, Bob Hoeksema, Travis Jamieson


The bios and pics will be published next week. August 22 will be the congregational vote for the entire slate and the deadline for the online voting.

            The proposed 2021-22 General Fund Budget and Summary was approved by Council. On August 15, there will be a brief congregational meeting for discussion on the budget and August 22 will be a vote on the budget immediately following the morning service.

As we continue in-person, indoor services, we invite more people to serve as Sunday morning scripture readers. If you would like to read scripture during a morning worship service, please sign up here.

In an effort to encourage Psalm-singing, Church of the Servant invites congregational songwriters to submit a Psalm-based song to its 2021 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, 2021. The winning songs will be premiered in worship on February 6, 2022. Learn more here.

This last Wednesday, 17 Native grass and flower planters, ranging from less than one year old to 70+, brought us nearly to the half-way point in our parking lot islands project! Thanks to all of you volunteers!  We will continue every evening at 6:30 until we are done. Join us this coming Wednesday, if you are interested, and bring your favorite trowel!

Soundboard volunteers needed. As we continue to navigate our return to indoor worship services, we need more people willing to run the soundboard in both morning services. If you are interested in serving COS in this way, please contact dave.hartwell@coscrc.org.


Social Seniors meet every Tuesday morning from 10:00 to 11:00. Designed to provide opportunity for church family camaraderie, Social Seniors is open to anyone who would like to attend, regardless of age. We seek to be spiritually encouraged and to provide opportunities for sharing, humor, expression of our sorrows and joys, and prayer for one another and our church. The Zoom link below will work for every Tuesday. 

Topic: Social Seniors

Time:  10:00 – 11:00 AM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83263669013?pwd=UzE4Z1czT2h2Q0lsck0zaXV4T1NMdz09

Meeting ID: 832 6366 9013

Passcode: COS  

You can also join by telephone: 1 312 626 6799. When prompted, enter the meeting ID plus #, and then when asked for your participant ID, merely enter #, and you will be connected to the group.

It is time to begin thinking about 2022 giving envelopes. We ask that you fill out a form which you can find in your COS mailbox (or use this online form) if you would like to continue/begin receiving giving envelopes in 2022. Please plan to mail the form to COS or drop off to COS office by September 20th. If you have any questions, please contact Angelica Zahrt, Treasurer by email aj.zahrt@coscrc.org or by phone 616-956-7611 ext 29.

Classis Grand Rapids East invites you to join an Oak Hill Cemetery Tour
focused on Black History and Racism in Grand Rapids on August 28 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Tours are rain or shine.

PLEASE recall that Church of the Servant is a member of the Grand Rapids Climate Resolution Coalition, a kaleidoscope of local groups who have come together for the purpose of ensuring a carbon neutral Grand Rapids by 2030 through the passage and successful implementation of a Climate Resolution by the Grand Rapids City Commission.  See more information about the Grand Rapids Climate Resolution Coalition –and the Resolution itself at the following link: www.GRClimate.org This coalition’s resolution, “Declaring a Climate Emergency: A Better Future Starts Now” declares that we are facing a climate emergency, and it commits the city government of Grand Rapids to take bold actions to ensure carbon neutrality and climate justice in Grand Rapids. Individuals and organizations can now sign on in support of this visionary resolution.

There are now YARD-SIGNS AVAILABLE between the East Entry doors, do take one and make it visible in your neighborhood …we can get more once the current supply are in our yards.

Even if you don’t live in Grand Rapids city limits, because this affects all of us, please consider individually signing on in support of this resolution, sharing it with your own friends and networks, and placing yard signs in high-traffic areas.