Pentecost Season, July 31, 2022
This Sunday:
This Sunday, July 31, Rev. Karen Campbell will preach from Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23 and Colossians 3:1-11 in the large service. Anastaze Nzabonimpa will preach in the All Nations Worship Service in Room 4.
The 10 am large service will be streamed via Zoom.
Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.
Church News:
Current Giving for the month of July: $76,284
2021 Giving for the month of July: $83,974
Giving for the month of June: $80,926
Monthly budgeted General Fund Giving is: $118,873
From Pastor Andrew: I will be taking a mini-sabbatical from ministry July 25 – Aug. 22. I am eager to spend more time with my family, to retreat, to play, and to pay attention to the Lord’s leading for the ministry year ahead. I am deeply grateful for this time away and I welcome your prayers for rest, renewal, and vision.
Congregational Meeting – Aug. 7. There will be a congregational meeting after the worship service on Sunday, August 7 to vote on the COS 2022-23 budget and the slate of council nominees. Time will be reserved at the start of the meeting for discussion about the budget. The nominees for elder are Elizabeth Boelens, Ann Dieleman, Claire Elgersma, Len Vander Zee, Jolene Vos-Camy and Klaas Walhout and nominees for deacon are Hope Bradley, Joan Huyser-Honig, Janice McWhertor, Marty Monsma, Arend Vander Pols and Eric Walstra. Here is a link to nominee bios. Continuing council members are elders Kim Benedict, Bill Harris, Gretchen Borst, Dale Cooper, Karen Koetje and Beena Philip and deacons Marc Beversluis, Chair of Deacons, Pam Bratt, Eve Clayton, Adam Hollemans, and Bob Hoeksema. Retiring elders are Rhonda Mejeur, Margaret Mwenda, Nancy Pranger, Duane Heeringa and Bill Vriesema and retiring deacons are Stacy Steen, Chair of Council, Marji Voetberg, Clerk of Council, Carol Rienstra, Jon Vandervelde.
Council met on July 21 and continues to work toward an action plan in response to synodical decisions of 2022. We meet again as a full council on August 11 and COS members are welcome to attend and observe. Here is a helpful FAQ link from the new CRCNA General Secretary, Zachary King, https://www.crcna.org/synod/hsr-faq
Naji Umran and Anne Zaki will join our August 17 dinner for a time of fellowship, sharing, and prayer. This will be our opportunity to welcome them, catch up on their ministry over these last couple of years, hear more about how God is at work, and find out where they are in need of prayer.
Social Seniors Zoom meetings have ended. With most people able to attend worship services and other church events in person now, the need for our meetings has passed. Thank you to all who participated. You helped make it a supportive, spiritually encouraging, and delightful experience for all of us.
Job Opening: All Nations Worship Coordinator. Position summary: To cultivate, empower, and sustain a multicultural, multilingual worshipping community. The All Nations Worship Coordinator will work as part of a team consisting of Co-Pastor Andrew, Co-Pastor Karen, All Nations music teams, the All Nations Music Assistant, and the SES Worship Coordinator. A key component for cultivating multicultural worship will be building relationships across a variety of cultures. Find the full job description and information on applying here.
Blood Drive tomorrow, Monday, August 1! Thank you to all who have already signed up. There are still about 15 openings on our schedule to donate blood. Our Versiti Blood Center recruiter tells us that hitting our goal has never been more important than it is now! Numbers are down across the entire Midwest. A good supply of blood at all times is critical. So be your most generous self – donate blood!You’ll be in good company, with others who value sharing the gift of life. Appointments are between 2-7pm in our church cafe area. Follow this link to the online schedule. Questions? Contact Beth Karanicola or Ruth Huisman. THANK YOU!
Artery: Plan to meet the current Artery artist Ellie Harold on Sunday July 31 after the morning worship service is over. She will speak briefly about her artwork and answer questions. Ellie will also be available in the Artery afterward for conversations about her art. Light refreshments will be served in the artery space. If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to walk down the Artery and enjoy each one.
Camelot Block Party: Our Annual Community gathering at Camelot Park is Saturday, August 6 from 11am – 1:30 pm.
There will be games, beef hot dogs, chips and cookies, haircuts, fingernail painting, backpack give away, and the all-time favorite with a visit from the Firetruck! Come and meet our Camelot neighbors and our church partners from Ada Bible, St Nick, Crossway Community, House of God and Ridge Park Academy and an FBI rep sharing info on neighborhood and personal safety.
Spiritual Trauma Healing Group: As a community of believers, we lament the reality of spiritual trauma. Certain texts in Scripture can be twisted to cause harm, and a victim’s connection to God can be compromised. If you would benefit from a small, therapist-led group, there are two ways to take a step toward healing: 1. call or email Josh Baron, the therapist who will lead the group this Fall or 2. get in touch with Ben Videtich for further details. Going straight to Josh allows for total anonymity, as he is removed from the COS community. Touching base with Ben, if you’re comfortable with it, allows for more information before a screening email and call with Josh. We leave it to you to decide which feels right. Josh is a warm and welcoming person who holds an authentic faith, and has facilitated healing groups over his 16 years of experience as a therapist. The group will meet six Tuesdays in a row at 6-7:30pm beginning October 4th, ending November 8th, at Josh’s office – near Burton and East Beltline.
From Hope Bradley: You may have noticed an additional compost bin near the COS Community Garden. First, I thank Jerry Kramer and Jim Bradley for this construction. Second, I want to explain why this was built. Over the growing season the community gardeners fill the 2 compost bins in the garden to capacity. At the end of the season there is large plant matter leftover such as old tomato plants, squash vines, and beanstalks. In the past these items were just thrown over the fence to be dealt with later. By capturing these plants in one place the composted material can be used back in the garden. Third, I have been told that the bin needs beautification, so I am running a contest for the best design or decoration to enhance the attractiveness of the bin. The only limitation to your design is that the front of the bin needs to stay accessible. The deadline is August 5th. All ages are encouraged to participate. There will be a small prize for the winner. Please put your design in my mailbox or send them to me.
50th anniversary Celebration. This year, Church of the Servant is blessed to celebrate its 50-year anniversary. In anticipation of this milestone, we encourage you to save Sept. 17-18 for our anniversary celebration. We will hold a celebration on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 4:30-8 pm at COS. The evening will include dinner as well as programming that looks back at our 50 years as a congregation and looks forward to God’s future of the church.
On Sunday, Sept. 18, we will gather for worship at 10 am followed by an all-church meal outside. More details and formal invitations will follow. For now, we encourage you to save the dates as we look forward to celebrating with our COS friends.
Understanding Racism Workshop. To our brothers and sisters in Christ, CORE (Community Organizing for Racial Equity) announces two workshops: August 11 and 12 and November 10 (evening), 11 and 12. These Understanding Racism workshops are open to everyone in our congregation. It is our hope and prayer that COS people continue in this work of understanding racism, becoming an ever brighter light in the community as to what God-led antiracism looks like. Our times are always fraught with racial tension. By attending a workshop and joining in the ongoing task of dismantling racism as a Christ follower, we can do good work together. These workshops will be held at Church of the Servant. Registration costs are covered by our COS budget. Please prayerfully consider attending. Register at COREnow.org