Happening This Sunday
Sunday July 21 Rev. Jack Roeda will bring the message in our Standard English Service, and Rev. Andrew Mead will deliver the sermon in our Basic English Service.
July 21 6:30pm: Sunday Evening Book Club, Home of Lisa VanArragon & Chris Smit, 1850 Mayberry St SE, GR 49508. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Benjamin Alire Saenz (2012) (368 pages)
Young Adult fiction gives readers of all ages the opportunity to think about coming-of-age, identity, friendship, and belonging. The Sunday Evening Book Club will read two acclaimed YA novels this summer. See announcement below. All are welcome.
Youth News
High School: Cedar Point August 3! There are two spaces left for our trip to Cedar Point on Aug. 3! The $40 payment must be given to Annette by Thursday, August 1. If you do not pay by then, your space will be made available to students on our waiting list.
Save the Date – For camping on Lake Michigan at Pioneer County Park in Muskegon August 11-13. Space is limited to 15 high school students and the cost is $10 per person. A sign-up sheet is located in the café.
Church News
Library News: Check out these new titles in the library: In This World of Wonders by Nicholas Wolterstorff; The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by New York Times’ columnist David Brooks; The Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of God’s Mercy by Timothy Keller; and My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Lost Love by Amanda Barratt.
Gender and Sexuality Acceptance Group – Sunday, August 18:
Sunday Evening Book Club – Little and Lion, Brandy Colbert (2017) (336 pages)
The Gender and Sexuality Acceptance Group is open to everyone interested in joining our discussions and programs on gender and sexuality. All are welcome. Our events are safe spaces, planned with the goal of the full inclusion and participation of people who identify as LGBTQ+ and their families. If there are any questions please contact Chris Klein, Minister of Congregational Life (chris.klein@coscrc.org).
COS is looking for a Basic English Service Music Coordinator to help and lead in the planning of the BES worship services that welcome and utilize the creative and spiritual expression of congregants’ gifts. This is a part time position (12 hours a week for an initial period of one year). For further details consult the church’s website at coscrc.org/jobs Closing date for application is 16th August.
Members of the ministry staff will be away periodically this summer. If a pastoral need arises, please reach out to the following staff during these dates:
July 21-27, Pastor Andrew Mead
July 27-Aug. 9, Pastor Karen Campbell or Minister of Congregational Life, Chris Klein
Interested in Restorative Justice? This Thursday, July 25, at 7:15 p.m. at COS, Derrick Franke, a criminal justice specialist from MSU, will talk about his role in facilitating the victim-offender dialogue highlighted in an episode of the Redemption Project, a docu-series hosted by Van Jones.
You are also invited to attend a viewing of the documentary “Faces of Mass Incarceration” to be held at COS this Saturday morning, July 27 from 10:30-noon. Citizens for Prison Reform will present this documentary that was filmed at the October 2018 International Prisoners’ Family Conference. The screening of this 30 minute film will be followed by testimonials from a few prisoners’ family members and friends. Both of these programs (see previous announcement) are free and open to the public, thanks to support from a CRCNA Classis GR East community engagement grant. For more info email info@prisonersinchrist.org
A Bible Story-based Trauma Healing Group, especially for persons impacted by violence, abuse and/or incarceration, is being formed to meet on 5 Saturday mornings beginning August 10.
New pollinator/rain garden at COS – Thanks to a grant from the National Wildlife Federation (https://www.nwf.org/sacredgrounds), COS and a few other local congregations are installing new pollinator / rain gardens on their properties. With the help of the Plaster Creek Stewards, we plan to build ours on July 30th in the swale that collects run-off from our east parking lot. Volunteers are needed from 8:00-10:00, 10:00-noon, 12:30-2:30 pm, and 2:30-4:30 pm. You can sign up online (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d4ba5a92aa3f58-cossacred) or in the cafe area. Tools and refreshments will be provided, but you may want to bring your own work gloves.
Church of the Servant is scheduled to bring a dinner and entertainment to the West Michigan Friendship Center, a Christian ministry that serves the Arabic Muslim community located at 3665 29th St. S.E., on August 2. We need about 10 individuals or families to make this possible. Initially we are thinking of doing an American-style cook-out (no pork, of course) and some fun outdoor games, but we are open to suggestions from others who want to volunteer.
Giving Update: Our giving for the week of Sunday July 14 totaled $20,451.55 (including weekly online giving). Our current giving for the month of July is $54,624.81.