Saturday, December 24 our 5 pm Christmas Eve Service centers on an intergenerational retelling of stories of hope leading up to Jesus’ birth. Join at 4:30 pm for a musical prelude featuring musicians of all ages, leading up to the start of the service. The Christmas Eve service concludes with the congregation singing Silent Night by candlelight.
Our 11 pm Christmas Eve service will include a time of carols, communion, and candlelight. Rev. Andrew Mead will bring a message from Luke 2:1-14 and Hebrews 1:1-12.
Sunday, December 25, join for our Christmas Day service at COS. We’ll gather at 10 am for a brief time of carols and Christmas reflections.
The 5 pm Christmas Eve service will be broadcast via Zoom.
Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.
Children’s Ministry Announcements:
The 5pm Christmas Eve Service: Rehearsal at 3pm, Musical Prelude starts at 4:40pm! The final rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service is at 3:00pm on Saturday, Dec. 24! Participants will put on costumes and run through the service a few times until breaking for a snack before the musical prelude begins at 4:40pm. If you have a toddler or preschooler in the service, please stay with them during this rehearsal to help them navigate this new, exciting experience! Older children may be dropped off for rehearsal. If you were unable to make it to the first rehearsal but your kids want to be involved in the service, it’s not too late to be an angel or a shepherd! There may even be other last-minute roles available if someone else is absent. Your kids will find a costume and will be ready to go!
Christmas Eve Musical Prelude: If you are playing in the musical prelude but don’t have a role in the Christmas Eve. service, please arrive with your instrument and music by 4:30pm. Please find Ms. Amy Heeringa near the music room in the large sanctuary. We’re excited to hear your piece!
Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Worship Services: Our Christmas Day service this year will be an and intergenerational outdoor service of carols, Scripture readings, and prayer. Children are encouraged to participate with their families, no special programming or nursery will be provided. However, there will be cookies, coffee, and cocoa after the service. Bundle up for a memorable morning of celebratory song! On New Year’s Day, all children ages 2.5 to 2nd grade will be blessed before continuing worship in either the Youth Room or the All Nations Sanctuary (the final location will be announced on Sunday). All the Little Lambs and Children’s Worship classes will remain together to hear the story and respond through artwork. Children will check in the usual way, so please bring your pick up ticket to the youth room/All Nations Sanctuary to pick up your child(ren) after the service.
Church News:
Current Giving for the Month of December: $88,260
Giving for the month of November: $103,971
Monthly budgeted General Fund Giving is: $118,873
There currently are 101 pledges totaling $644,740. This is an average of $6,384 per pledge. Last year on December 21st we had 62 pledges totaling $431,130.
Sunday, December 25 will be the last Sunday of the year to give your 2022 contributions in a worship service’s offering. Contributions may be dropped off at the church office Tuesday, December 27-Thursday, December 29 between 10:00am-3:00pm, and Friday, December 30 between 10:00am-12:00pm. Any contributions postmarked in 2022 will be entered on this year’s giving statements.
2023 Pledges: In celebration of our congregation’s 50th anniversary, COS leadership has chosen “Jubilee” as a guiding theme. When we support Church of the Servant’s mission with our time, treasure, and talent we are responding to God’s invitation to be a community “rooted in Christ, nurtured by the Spirit, to grow in God’s grace.” The Stewardship team is inviting each of us to make a pledge of our finances as we live out our commitment to “share gifts of refuge, fellowship, and hope.” Both in our year-end giving, and in the pledges for the 2023 General Fund that we make in December, we are showing ourselves to be people of Jubilee. Learn more about how to pledge here, and look for printed pledge forms at the church.
Upcoming Services: The sacrament of baptism reminds and assures us that “as surely as water washes away dirt from the body, so certainly [Christ’s] blood and his Spirit wash away . . . all [our] sins” Sunday, January 8, we will welcome David Wilson, Sabrina Wilson, David Wilson Jr, Ethan Wilson, Emily Harvey, and Jacob Harvey into Christ’s Church through the sacrament of baptism. In the service, we will also welcome into membership Eric, Malorie, Sawyer, and Eloise Venlet.
Sunday, January 15, we will participate in the ordination service of Klaas Walhout as a Minister of The Word for his role as Chaplain at Mercy St. Mary’s Hospital.
E-GReen Sustainability Initiative is hosting another free E-Waste and Foam Packaging Recycling Day in East Grand Rapids Saturday, January 7, 2023 from 11:00am-1:00pm at the EGR Public Works Parking Lot (2310 Reeds Lake Blvd SE, near Remington Park). Foam packaging that will be accepted is #6 expanded polystyrene (EPS) which mostly comes from food and beverage containers and electronics and furniture packaging. Look for a triangle with the number 6 inside. Please look at what is and is not recyclable, and make sure it is wiped clean. Packing peanuts will be accepted in plastic bags, but only one peanut type or color per bag. Our partner, Atlas Molded Products, will recycle the #6 expanded polystyrene (EPS). Also, our partner, Padnos will be collecting computers, laptops, tablets, circuit boards, hard drives, cell phones, VCRs, DVD players, video game systems, printers, miscellaneous wire and holiday string lights. *NO CRTVs or monitors at this event. Padnos is a registered & certified e-Scrap Recycler.
Facilities Team is looking for some shoveling volunteers who will monitor the snow fall during Sunday services and Wednesday activities and be willing to clear the sidewalks. Contact Bob H or Monica S if you are willing to shovel snow.
Begin the new year with an act of generosity. On Monday, January 9, we will host our first blood drive of 2023. There are many reasons people cannot donate, especially during the winter season of colds, flu, Covid, and bad weather. But the need for a steady supply of blood for Michigan hospitals remains strong. If you are healthy and are willing to share your precious gift of life, we need you! Our drive is from 2-7pm on Monday, 1/9, in our church cafe area. Sign up for an appointment online at https://donate.michigan.versiti.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/150782 The process takes about an hour of your time, but will bring life-saving restoration to someone who desperately needs a transfusion. Questions, or need help signing up? Contact Ruth Huisman. Many thanks!
Request for housing Feb 8-12. Eric Sarwar is a missionary supported by COS, serving in the Indian-Pakistani community in southern California. He was a COS member during his studies at Calvin Seminary in 2014-16. He plans to be in Grand Rapids with his wife Shumaila and sons Ethan and Gabriel from Wednesday Feb 8 – Sunday Feb 12 (4 nights). Is there anyone that would have an apartment, home, or a couple rooms for them to stay for these days/nights? If so, please contact Eric.
COS Missions Support Team (MST) thanks you! This past year COS supported 14 missionaries serving all around the world. Descriptions of most of their ministries, along with photos and letters, are accessible here. MST is grateful for your prayers and generous support through Faith Promise offerings. If you still have a 2022 Faith Promise pledge to fulfill, or you want to support Faith Promise yet this year, please make your contribution in the regular collection (marked “Faith Promise”), or through the online portal (again, designated “Faith Promise”). We are grateful for your amazing support!
CORE Workshop: Community Organizing for Racial Equity has two workshops planned for the New Year. Starting on January 11, CORE will lead a 6-week Wednesday night zoom workshop from 6-9pm. Then, on March 9-11, there will be a traditional in-person workshop here at COS. (Thursday evening, all day Friday and Saturday). These Understanding Racism workshops welcome everyone in our congregation. It is our hope and prayer that COS people continue in this work of understanding racism, to deepen our insight as to what God-led antiracism looks like. Our times are always fraught with racial tension. As Christ followers and joining in the ongoing task of dismantling racism, we can do good work together. Registration costs are covered by our COS budget. Please prayerfully consider attending or coming back for a refresher. Register at COREnow.org
Saturday, December 31—All are invited to attend a New Year’s Eve celebration from 6 – 8:30 pm planned by All Nations. After a prayer service in the All Nations worship space from 6-7 pm (honoring the practice of many of our African and Asian members who spend New Year’s Eve in a prayer vigil), we will move to the Café for food, singing, and dancing. Everyone is asked to bring a snack or “finger food” to share. Special activities for children will be provided, but no separate nursery staff provided.