This Sunday, February 7,we will continue to worship using our zoom format, individually, but still as one body, united in Christ. Rev. Karen Campbell will bring us a message based on the scriptures of Jer. 20:7-9 & 1 Cor. 9:16-23.
Join the zoom GPS presentation following our worship service. The COS Mental Health Committee will offer a discussion entitled: Strengthening our mental health when times are hard
This discussion will explore how the stresses and losses of the pandemic have impacted our mental health. We’ll also discuss physical, social and spiritual practices that can restore our mental health.
Ash Wednesday is February 17 and marks the beginning of Lent. We will be having a zoom worship service at 7pm where we begin the season with a focus on remembering our baptism in Christ Jesus. Because of the limitations of worshiping with a zoom format, we will forgo the imposition of ashes. More details to come.
Children’s Ministry
All -Clubs Zoom Meeting happening Sunday at 4:00pm! All kids in preshool-6th are invited to today’s (2/7) meeting to explore 1 Corinthians 12 together! Even though we are worshipping apart, we are still part of the body of Christ, and we all have a role to play in loving God and loving others! “Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits.” –1 Cor. 4-11 Msg. We’ll talk about what kinds of things we love to do or are good to helps us figure out how to practice this month’s holy habit, acts of service, at home, school, and church!
To join click this link If a Meeting ID is requested, enter: 845 0939 0414
If a passcode is requested, enter: CLUB
Taste and See! A Lord’s Supper Class during Lent – At COS young children come forward in the communion circle to receive a blessing. As children grow curious and interested in understanding and participating more fully, we encourage them to attend a class with a parent to see what the Lord’s Supper is all about. The next Lord’s Supper class will happen in February during Lent, so please let me know if you’d like to be included! Jo.Howe@coscrc.org
Keeping up Our Spirits during Hard Times – On Wednesday February 10, and 24, Corrie Vos will give uplifting presentations focused on mental health, from 7:30 to 8:15 PM. Corrie, who is chair of COS elders and a retired clinical psychologist, will invite the participants to consider, reflect, and experience aspects of how we can provide the best care for our own mental health during these difficult times. The remaining two presentations will be:
Feb 10: Choosing the Light: training our thoughts
Feb 24: Living the Light: practicing helpful behaviors
We hope you will join us!
Zoom Information:
Topic: Keeping Up Our Spirits
Time: Feb 10, 2021, 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83610980203?pwd=cmxTZkpNdUxhZFkwTy9HalR2ZnVzUT09 Meeting ID: 836 1098 0203
Passcode: servant
(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 able to hear and address the group.)
Church of the Servant Legacy Foundation Annual Report
In the summer of 2019, the COS Council approved the creation of the COS Legacy Foundation to lay a stronger financial foundation for COS into the future. During 2020, the Foundation Trustees were informed about six members who have included Church of the Servant and the COS Legacy Foundation in their will or estate plan. In addition, we received three gifts to the Foundation in 2020 –a total of $2,250. On December 31, 2020, the balance in the Foundation account at the Barnabas Foundation was $2,304.20.
The Foundation Trustees encourage all members to consider the Church of the Servant and its Foundation as you design or update wills or estate plans. More information about the Foundation can be found on the COS website https://www.churchoftheservantcrc.org/giving/cos-legacy-foundation/ . A brochure about the Foundation has also been included with your annual giving statement from the church office.
Nick and Claire Wolterstorff share their experience of naming Church of the Servant in their Will. Almost 25 years ago Nick and Claire Wolterstorff put COS in their will. Watch a brief video on what motivated them to do this by visiting the Legacy Foundation area of the COS website https://www.churchoftheservantcrc.org/giving/cos-legacy-foundation/
Keeping our congregation updated: To our brothers and sisters in Christ, CORR (Congregations Organizing for Racial Reconciliation) continues to offer Understanding Racism workshops in 2021 virtually. 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 fraught with racial tension and this is an opportunity for us to work together to address it. A four morning Thursday/Friday (8:30am-1pm) workshop begins February 18 and in March, Wednesday evenings from 6-9pm begins March 3 and a traditional 2.5 day workshop begins Thursday evening, March 11. Please prayerfully consider taking advantage of these opportunities. We long to meet in person again but for now, this is a very workable format for all of us to continue to do the Lord’s work in antiracism. Register at CORRnow.org
If you are willing to read scripture on Sunday morning, go to Signup Genius to sign up to read any Sunday. Click here to sign up for any Sunday, from January through the end of May.
Financial Update: Last week’s offering and online giving: $19,312.89
Estimated Giving for the month of January: $123,403.51
Monthly General Fund Budget: $112,926
Contribution statements were mailed out recently so you should have received them this past week. Please review your contributions and let AJ Zahrt know if you have any questions.
Simply Give Campaign Update – In the last campaign, COS collected $31,970 in Meijer Gift cards to purchase food for our in-house Food Pantry. Meijer recently alerted us that we will be receiving another Simply Give Campaign from Feb 14-April 10. More details will come but please note that the Double Match Days will be March 13 and April 3. You can send a check for Simply Give or donate online via the church website. Thank you so much for your generous support to keep the Pantry stocked.