This Sunday:

This Sunday, in worship at COS, Rev. Karen Campbell will preach from Daniel 6:1-16 and Ephesians 6:10-18 in the standard English service. Rev. Andrew Mead will preach from Daniel 6:1-16 in the Basic English Service in Room 5.

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Children’s News:

Welcome back to in-person worship! Below you’ll find the programs available for children in preschool-6th grade this Sunday. The nursery is also available for babies and toddlers. Pick up a map at the welcome station to you find your way to kid’s classrooms! 

Little Lambs and Children’s Worship, 10:15am (Children’s Wing)

Children ages 2.5 through 2nd grade begin worship with their families, before being blessed and sent to continue worship in age-appropriate ways in our Little Lambs and Children’s Worship classes. Parents are welcome to accompany their children to drop them off in these ministries or send them on their own with the processional. Please check in at the name tag station at the main entrance of the church to get a name tag and pick-up ticket for your child. Please pick up children in the café at 11:30am.    

Sunday School Snacks, 11:30-11:40am (Outside Door M)

Granola bars and lemonade will be available after the worship service outside door M, which is an exit just past the restrooms in the Artery. Children are encouraged to eat their snacks outside under the heater before heading to Sunday school. Please encourage your child to use the restroom if needed, as well. 

Sunday School, 11:45am-12:30am (See Locations Below)

Sunday school begins again today! 

Classroom Locations

Please drop kids off at (or slightly before) 11:45am and pick them up at 12:30pm from the following locations:

  • The 4-year-old through 1st graders will meet in room 9, located in the children’s worship wing. 
  • The 2nd-4th graders will meet in room 23, behind the church mailboxes at the back of the sanctuary.
  • The 5th-6th graders will meet in room 19, down the hallway on the far side of the sanctuary, next to the nursery.  
  • The 7th-8th graders will meet in room 17, also down the hallway on the far side of the sanctuary, near the nursery.  
  • High school students will meet in the youth room, located at the end of the artery, past the children’s wing.
  • Nursery is available for children 3 and younger during the Sunday School Hour
  • There is no GPS (adult education) this Sunday, so enjoy some quality time in the café, connecting with other adults at COS!

Church News:

Current Giving for the month of February: $45,655

Giving for the month of January: $159,186

Monthly budgeted General Fund Giving is:  $118,873

General Fund Balance as of January 31: $141,314

YOU ARE INVITED to participate in the THURSDAY BIBLE STUDY beginning February 17, 9:30 to 11:00 am.  We will be studying the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7. You are invited to read Matthew 5:1-12 for the first session, study guides will be available that day.  You are invited to listen to the group presentation on COS you-tube after Friday of the week, and arrange your own electronic small group discussions if you wish.  If you need CHILDCARE, or have further questions, contact Mary Loeks. Everyone is welcome!

Friendship ESL asks for a working computer for an Afghan university graduate, now here, studying for the TOEFL exam. Please render to the church office marked “ESL.”  Many thanks. 

Are you aware that the official count of refugees in the world today stands at over 70 million, the most since after WW II?  And did you know that our church has worked with, sponsored, and learned from refugees, asylum seekers and others fleeing wars and natural disasters since 1975? Wondering how COS is helping to support refugees here in our own city in 2022, and thinking that you might want to get involved? Then plan to attend the GPS session via Zoom following the 10 am worship service at 11:45 am on Sunday, Feb. 20. Questions? Call Joel Westmaas or Nita Vanderberg.

Continuing the Conversation: How Can We Help Ensure EVERYONE in Grand Rapids Has Housing They Can Afford?

If you would like to dig deeper into the topic of affordable housing after last Sunday’s presentation by Kurt Reppart, check out the resources and event below:

  • Sunday’s Presentation: If you missed the presentation on Sunday by Kurt Reppart you can watch it here.
  • An Event: On Tuesday, April 26 from 7-9pm Classis GR East’s Community Engagement team is hosting and event focused on affordable housing for new Americans with panel discussions on affordable housing and immigration. This event will be held at Tabernacle Community Church, 2350 Eastern Ave. SE (the former meeting place for COS before we moved into our own building). More details to come in April.
  • An Article: Including details about the affordable housing project initiated by members of Eastern Ave. CRC. 
  • A Toolkit: This website includes a toolkit churches can use when considering how their resources could be used to create more affordable housing, as well as stories of what churches across the country are doing. All curated by Lee Hardy, retired Calvin prof. and Eastern Ave. CRC member. 
  • A Video: of Lee Hardy’s presentation, Tiny Homes, Big House Churches, and Courtyard Housing—Communities of Faith and Affordable Housing.
  • Getting Involved: If you’re interested in getting involved in efforts happening in our congregation or community to increase affordable housing, contact Jolanda Howe at jo.howe@coscrc.org.

Keeping our congregation updated: To our brothers and sisters in Christ, CORR (Congregations Organizing for Racial Reconciliation) has changed its name to reflect our current emphasis and vision.  We are now CORE (Community Organizing for Racial Equity)! 

We continue to offer Understanding Racism workshops and for 2022, we hope to offer a mix of virtual and in-person workshops.   These workshops are open to everyone in our congregation.  It is our hope and prayer that as COS people continue in this work of understanding racism, Church of the Servant will reveal what Godly antiracism looks like in the community. Our times are always fraught with racial tension and this is one important opportunity for us to work together to address it.

The upcoming virtual workshop will be held from 9am-1pm on February 17, 18, 25 and 25. The first (in a long time) in-person Understanding Racism workshop is being offered from Thursday- Saturday, April 21 -23. This workshop will be held at Church of the Servant.

Please prayerfully consider taking advantage of these opportunities. Register at COREnow.org

COS Quilting Group: 36 quilts made by the COS Fabric and Fellowship group this winter.  We used mostly leftover fabric from our other projects.  These will be donated to the West Michigan Quilt Guild. The guild keeps the Spectrum Health Neonatal Unit supplied with quilts. Each new family gets to choose a quilt from the nurse’s closet for their little one. Our group meets the 4th Monday of each month in Room 5 from 10 to 2. Please let Hope Bradley or Claire Elgersma if you are interested in joining us.

Pastors from the six Camelot Community Partner churches have been meeting regularly for the past two years. As trust has grown, we’ve had deeper conversations about race and the church – and we’re inviting the Camelot Community Partner churches to join the conversation. On Saturday, February 19 from 9am – 12pm, St. Nicholas Orthodox Church will host a gathering to hear stories and reflections from these pastors, meet neighboring church members, and explore together how the gospel relates to race in America. Mayor of Kentwood, Stephen Kepley, will moderate and a continental breakfast will be served. Please join us – and invite others! See the flyer here