This post contains church news. Access the PDF of the bulletin for all announcements including prayer requests and community announcements.
Season of Lent, Sunday March 21, 2021
This Sunday:
This Sunday, March 21, we continue to worship using via Zoom, scattered in body, but united in Christ. Rev. Karen Campbell will bring us a message based on the scriptures of Deuteronomy 8:1-15 and John 17:20-26. Rev. Andrew Mead will preach in the 11:30 am Zoom bilingual service. Links to the service are sent Saturday evenings at 6 pm. Sign up to the COS Newsletter email list to receive the links.
This Sunday in God’s People Seeking (GPS): We invite you to join GPS following the 10 am Zoom Worship service for part two of the 2-part presentation with Kristin Du Mez, Calvin professor and author of Jesus and John Wayne. In preparation, you’re invited to watch part one here.
Church News:
Our Holy Week services this year will be a selection of virtual and in-person gatherings. Please keep checking bulletins and the COS website for changes, as plans are formalized.
Palm Sunday (3/28): 10 am Zoom service including Passion reading. Palms for the virtual processional will be available for pickup at COS on March 26 and 27.
Maundy Thursday (4/1): service at 7 pm on zoom
Good Friday (4/2): call to prayer and fasting. Small group worship, pausing at stations of the cross on the COS nature trail. Initial sign-ups will be for 12 and 12:30 pm.
Easter Sunday (4/4): worship outdoors in the patio area: 8:30 & 10 am using sign-up to limit capacity with social distancing and masks.
11:30 am bilingual Easter worship outdoors.
6 pm Easter testimony and profession of faith service outdoors
In case of inclement weather on Easter Sunday, services will revert to Zoom.
Sunday morning scripture readers wanted! If you would like to read scripture on Sunday morning, go to Signup Genius to sign up to read any Sunday. Click here to sign up.
Financial Update:
Last week’s offering and online giving: $8,210.50
Current Giving for the month of March: $79,115.96
Monthly budgeted General Fund Giving is: $112,926
Spring Workday: April 5, 2021. Each spring we gather to clean up the grounds around the church from the winter events. Please join from 1:00 to 7:00 on Monday, April 5th the day after Easter. Bring hand tools, rakes, wheelbarrows, and any other comfortable work items. Come when you are able and leave when you get tired. Reserve with Hope Bradley 616-389-3073 or Hope1033@gmail.com.
Also, Hope Bradley would like some help moving the chairs from the COS Sanctuary so the floor can be cleaned. She will be at the church Monday night March 22nd at 7pm. If you are available to help, please let her know at hope1033@gmail.com..
From Creation Care Team: With the end of February, we completed our Michigan Interfaith Power and Light/Consumers Energy Houses of Worship Rewards fundraiser. More than 150 Consumers Energy electricity customers participated, and we raised over $3,000 for the Creation Care Team (CCT)! Those who participated received advice on efficiency upgrades, LED night lights, and, in some cases, power strips, LED bulbs and even Nest programable thermostats. Most importantly, you helped reduce your individual greenhouse gas emissions. Thank You! The CCT is working on a number of projects, including planting additional native plants and trees on our grounds. We would also love to hear from you. If you have ideas on how this money should be spent, please send them to steven.mark.mulder@gmail.com.
Friendship ESL at COS re-opens for in-person classes this week. TUE and WED morning, 930-11a; THURS evening, 6-730p. Masked, distanced, temp-tested. No fees. Just come. (No nursery yet.) Want to tutor? Contact Mark: 285 9298.
Jifunze kiingereza safi ndani ya COS (Kanisa la Mtumishi). Darasa litaanza juma nne saa tatu na nusu asubuhi, juma tano saa 930 pia, Alhamisi saa kumi na mbili jioni. Njooeni. Karibu sana.
March Council Meeting Summary: At this month’s council meeting we received reports from Finance, Covid 19 Task Force, Classis GR East Delegates and the Creation Care team.
Finance: grateful to God for the stability of the church finances during the past year of virtual services.
Covid 19 Task Force: grateful for the opportunity to begin outdoor worship as well as some small group ministries within the church building.
Classis Delegates: grateful for more time to consider the Human Sexuality report as Synod has been postponed until summer of 2022.
Creation Care Team: grateful for grants that will allow for the planting of 25 trees and 10,000 native plants on the church property.
New business of the council was to begin the process of elder and deacon nominations for 2021 and the discernment process for the 2021-2022 budget. The council spent time praying the prayer of indifference and then a prayer for wisdom in preparation for developing a budget. Council will meet again in April to continue this Kingdom work.
Social Seniors meet every Tuesday morning from 10:00 to 11:00. Designed to provide opportunity for church family camaraderie, Social Seniors is led by Corrie Vos and Dale Cooper, and is open to anyone who would like to attend, regardless of age. We enjoy a social time together with a Biblical focus. We seek to be spiritually encouraged and to provide opportunities for sharing, humor, expression of our sorrows and joys, and prayer for one another and our church. The Zoom link below will work for every Tuesday.
Topic: Social Seniors
Time: 10:00 11:00 AM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83263669013?pwd=UzE4Z1czT2h2Q0lsck0zaXV4T1NMdz09
Meeting ID: 832 6366 9013
Passcode: COS
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 connected to the group.