This Sunday at COS:
On this Lenten Sunday, Rev. Len Vander Zee will preach from Numbers 21:4-9 and John 3:14-21 in our Tree of Life service in the large sanctuary. Rev. Andrew Mead will preach in the All Nations worship service in Room 4.
Following worship, stick around for Sunday School for all ages. In Adult-Ed GPS, The COS Mental Health Team welcomes Jeff Munroe, author of Telling Stories in the Dark. Jeff will join us to talk about healing and hope amid grief and loss. GPS meets in Room 3 following worship.
The 10 am Tree of Life service will also be broadcast via Zoom. Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.
Outreach and Congregational Life:
Faith Promise Missionary Support: COS supports a group of missionaries serving God in many different places. We have made a commitment to support them in prayer as well as financially. Their ministries are both unique and wonderful. During the month of March, we are making pledges to keep our commitment to them. Some of the financial support comes from the budget of COS and the other support is raised through our pledges of Faith Promise. We ask you to prayerfully consider pledging to support our missionaries! You can pledge with paper cards at church or follow this link to make your pledge online.
COS FREE table: Introducing the FREE table at the south end of the cafe bar table in our fellowship space. Feel FREE to take items left here, or to bring in items to add to the table, to share with others.
Friendship ESL: Last week just after dismissal, the mother of a refugee family newly arrived in the USA was alone with her tutor in the classroom. Absent words to express it, but using eyes, gestures, and stick figures on the white board, she made it clear enough: “I am not educated. My children are not educated. None of my family back there is educated. I am so happy to be here.” For a moment, eyes were fixed and voices quiet. Then, in a gesture simple and profound, she lifted her pencil from the tabletop, and kissed it.
Food Pantry Item of the Month: Deodorant. This item is low in stock in our food pantry, so if you’re able, please able contribute deodorant during the month of March. You’ll find baskets for collecting deodorant at the children’s cart next to the coat rack at the main entrance of the church. Our food pantry is one of the ways COS can be a refuge. Thank you for your contribution!
Facilities:
Adopt-a-Garden – Spring 2024. The COS grounds are flourishing! Our native plants are growing rapidly and look lovely, but they need a little TLC from volunteers who can adopt a garden or section of a garden. Adopter responsibilities include preparing the garden bed in the spring, weeding 3 to 4 times a summer, watering if there is a drought, transplanting if an area is too thin with plants, and preparing the beds in the fall for their winter nap.
The COS website offers a brief list of the garden areas. Do you see an area that you could adopt? If so, please contact Hope Bradley
You may use this PDF for a more thorough description of each garden and the care responsibilities.
Worship:
Preaching Schedule
March 17 ANWS – Makema Lwenge, TOL – Rev. Andrew Mead
March 24 ANWS – Passion Reading, TOL – Passion Reading
March 31 Easter Prism Service – Rev. Andrew Mead
April 7 ANWS – Ntarambirwa Alexis, TOL – Rev. Len Vander Zee
Holy Week Worship Schedule:
Palm Sunday • March 24 • 10 am • ANWS & TOL
Maundy Thursday • March 28 • 7 pm
Good Friday • March 29 • 12:15 pm
Easter Morning • March 31 • 10 am • Prism combined service
Easter Brunch • 12 pm
Easter Testimonies • March 31 • 6 pm
Faith Formation:
Summer Mission Trip for students currently in grades 8-12: Join 100 other students from around the US as we participate in a LOCAL MISSION TRIP the week of June 22-29. Our base camp for the week will be LaGrave Ave. CRC and we will spend our week helping our neighbors and local organizations, worshiping “energetically” every night with 100’s of other HS students, and having fun. Students will need to commit to staying on this local mission trip 24/7 from June 22-29. Cost is $400. Assistance and fundraising opportunities are available, if needed. Contact Annette for more information or to reserve your spot.
Wednesday Night Meal & Programming in March & April. We’re looking forward to a meal and clubs again this Wednesday. The schedule for the rest of winter/spring programming is March 13, 20, and April 10 and 17. April 17 will be the grand finale of our school year programming with the Pinewood Derby! We’ll take a break and start summer programming again in June.
Safe Church Sunday School Lessons for 2nd – 4th Grade on March 10. On March 10 our 2nd-4th grade Sunday School class will each feature a lesson from the Circle of Grace curriculum aimed at helping to prevent abuse. Jo will be teaching this lesson along with our Safe Church Coordinator, Amy Heeringa. Circle of Grace is, “designed to provide children, youth and parents with a knowledge and language to assist the adults in their faith community to keep them safe.” We hope you’ll send your children to this session and follow up with them after class to review the materials sent home. Please reach out to me or Amy if you have any questions.