Youth
High School: Sunday School meets in the Youth Room at 9am. This semester we are going to be looking at real case studies that present moral dilemmas and then practice the complex art of making Christian moral decisions. Donuts are always provided. Join us!
HS Small Groups should meet over the next few weeks. Small groups are available for all high school students. Groups are form based on grade levels. Talk to Annette if you would like to learn more.
Sat., Feb. 22-Sun., Feb. 23: Annual Winter Retreat! Topic: “Got Stress?!? Faith in an Anxious World.” Cost: $10. Discussion Leader: Jeff Jackson, psychiatrist. Location: Beversluis Cottage near Muskegon. Leave COS at 11am Saturday, return at 2pm Sunday. RSVP required by Wed., Feb. 19. Contact Annette with questions or to RSVP.
Mark your calendar: Summer Mission Trip: June 20-27. Where? Grand Rapids, MI! To wrap up our theme of “Light in the City,” high school students are invited to participate in a week-long mission trip where we will be bringing light to our very own city. We will be staying at a local church (not COS) with over a hundred other HS students, serving our neighbors during the day and eating and worshiping together every night. Estimated cost is $375 but cost can be reduced through participation in fundraising efforts. Contact Annette to reserve your spot or get more info. Sign-up deadline: March 30, 2020
Middle School: WNL (this week): Lord’s Days 17-19 (“Meaning of the Resurrection
Church News
The Thursday Bible study on Jonah meets this week on February 13, in the café area, 9:30-11 am. This week’s lesson; Jonah 1: 17 – 2:10; Psalm 139: 7 – 12—God’s Mercy to Jonah.
Knitters’ Night Out – Monday, 10 February at 7:30pm. Knitters (and other needle crafters) are welcome to join us at Deanna van Dijk’s home, 1852 Radcliff Ave SE, Grand Rapids. Email dvandijk@calvin.edu or phone 427-3825 with questions.
Our next blood drive is five weeks away. Please mark your calendar for Monday, March 16, 2-7pm. You can make an appointment now online at versiti.org/michigan or in a few weeks here in our cafe. Thanks for considering sharing your gift of life!
Financial Update: Last week’s offering and online giving was $23,540.58. Our total giving for the month of February is $23,540.58 with (3 Sunday left). Our monthly General Fund budget is $119,028.
COS partners with other local churches to provide mentors for students at Ridge Park Charter Academy (on East Paris). The mentors meet weekly with their students for 30-60 minutes, offering encouragement as much as tutoring. Ridge Park is in need of additional mentors for both elementary students and ELL (English Language Learning) middle school students. If you are interested in becoming a mentor for the remainder of the school year, or have questions, please contact Pam Plantinga.
ESL News – 307 students attended 79 classes held in January at COS. New people came to us from China, Nepal, the Dominican Republic, Myanmar, Guatemala, South Sudan and Rwanda. If a small group like that feels good to you, see Mark, ESL coordinator. He is looking for you!
The February 28-29 Understanding Racism Workshop is full and registration has closed. Two more workshops have been scheduled: April 17-18 and June 5-6. Both are two-day workshops from 8:30-5pm each day. This workshop experience is designed to explore the deep racial complexity of the United States and to begin to explore paths for restoration. Our goal is to gain insight in understanding systemic racism through the eyes of faith and scripture in order to become the Beloved Community. We encourage all leaders and members at Church of the Servant to attend one of these workshops. This effort helps us to focus and work together to address one of our country’s greatest troubles. Register online at CORRnow.org.
On Wednesday, Feb. 12, the COS Prisoners in Christ team will show and discuss 4 short videos, 15-30 min. each, from the Walking Towards Love curriculum “Rethinking Incarceration,” based on Dominique DuBois Gilliard’s book “Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice that Restores.” https://walkingtowardslove.com/series/rethinking-incarceration/ The schedule allows for people to come when they can and leave when they must, with a break at 5:30 for church supper. Beginning at 4pm – The Justice System; 5pm – Three Pipelines to Prison; 6pm – Solutions Going Forward; and at 7pm- Race and Justice (with the COS Wed. evening book group.) This series is one of many events taking place across the country during Christian Community Development Association’s Locked in Solidarity: National Awareness & Action Week on Mass Incarceration.(ccda.org/lis2020). Questions, email info@prisonersinchrist.org, or call 616-724-6772. All are welcome. Location: Church of the Servant.
From the COS Mental Health Committee – We would like to inform the congregation that there is a fund to assist members of Church of the Servant to access mental health counseling. The fund is intended to assist with co-pays or the full cost of therapy if members cannot afford therapy. The committee is currently developing a panel of therapists to whom church staff can refer members. Please contact Rev. Karen Campbell or Rev. Andrew Mead if you would like to either access these funds or financially support the ministry.
For the academic year 2020-2021Classis Grand Rapids East will provide need-based leadership development grants to students who are members of a church in our Classis, planning to enroll in an approved M. Div. program, and committed to entering ordained ministry in the CRC. The application deadline is March 1, 2020. Details and the application form are available on the Classis website under “Leadership Development Grants” at http://classisgreast.org/index.php/ministry-grants/
Thank you to all who contributed to the Simply Give program benefiting the COS food pantry. During our November –December campaign we received $16,820 in Simply Give cards to fill our pantry shelves!