Happening This Sunday

College-Age/Young Adult Lunch Sunday, March 31 – If you’re a post-high school young adult, you are invited to the Doorlags’ house today for lunch and discussion following the worship service. Please gather near the welcome kiosk located at the front entrance of the church if you are interesting in going, to make sure everyone has rides before heading to the Doorlags’ house.

There will be no Sunday School Sunday, March 31, due to Spring Break. We will resume at 9am next Sunday, April 7, when we will have Intergenerational Sunday School, and enjoy an all-church meal after worship!

You’re invited: Sunday, March 31 at 3 PM, COS will host a solo and chamber music concert featuring talented young Calvin alumni, including Josh Parks, playing works by Bartok, Telemann, Bach, and more. A free-will offering will be taken for Sonido del Movimiento, a Christian nonprofit working to promote resiliency and community building through music and dance in Xela, Guatemala. We hope to see you there!

Next Sunday

Intergenerational Sunday School meets next Sunday, April 7, at 9am. IGSS will feature a lively report from our Puerto Rico mission team, including a slideshow, testimonies, and singing.  After Prism worship next Sunday, stay and enjoy an all-church meal and celebrate the BES 10th birthday party! There is a flyer in your mailbox with details. Everyone is invited!

Youth News

April 7 

9am – Intergenerational Sunday School

10am – Worship

12noon – All church meal.  Plan to sit together at the tables reserved for High School Students and then stick around for BIG GROUP!

12:45PM – Big Group meets.  We will watch a slide show of our mission team’s trip to Puerto Rico accompanied by stories of what our team experienced on the trip. Done by 2pm.

Looking ahead…

Small Groups should meet between April 14-21.

April 21 is Easter – which means 2 worship services to celebrate that Christ is risen, one at 8:30am and one at 11:00am, with the FAMOUS COS EASTER BRUNCH at 10am!

April 28 – Big Group meets after our 10am worship for lunch followed by our monthly “4 for 4” activities.

Middle School: Due to Spring Break, the next WNL Class is April 10 

Church News

The Thursday Bible study meets this week Thurs. April 4.  This week’s study: Esther 3-4, The Crisis and the Response. We meet Thurs. 9:30–11am, in the café area.  Childcare provided.  ALL ARE WELCOME!

FUTURE FAITH—There are still copies available! The newest book by Wes Granberg-Michaelson is being used by the Wednesday night book group.  Extra copies of the book are available for purchase in the café for $15, payable by check to COS.

Do you like to play simple games? The game morning for BES/ESL kids will be held this Saturday, April 6, 10am – noon, and we need you! The High School helpers are out town this week and replacements would be appreciated! Contact Mugs Mast with questions.

Applications are being accepted for the Jack and Carol Roeda Refugee Higher Education Scholarship until April 15 for the 2019 – 2020 school year. To qualify, you must be a refugee, participate regularly in COS/BES, and plan to attend a college or university. This year five students who attend GRCC, Ferris State and Calvin have benefited from this scholarship.  For this we thank God and thank you for your generous giving to the scholarship fund.

An update regarding financials for month end included the following activity:

February 2019       Actual 

Receipts              $  88,976

Expenditures        117,726

Income (Loss)    $ (28,750)

The general fund balance on February 28 was reported at 37,927.  

2018-19 Monthly budgeted receipts were expected to be $119,028. This requires general fund giving to be $29,757 each week. Our February receipts were $88,976.  This was a weekly average of $22,244.

Lectio Divina continues during Lent – All are welcome to join us each Wednesday of Lent from 12:00 – 12:45 in the Living Room.

The COS Antiracism Team is putting together a COS list of those who have attended a 2.5 day Understanding Racism Workshop.  We would like to have occasional contact to invite you to relevant events.  One upcoming event will be Sunday, April 28 from noon to 2pm here at COS. We will have a meal, reflect on the impact of racism in our lives and a learning opportunity offered by Calvin Professor Joe Kuilema.  So, if you are a 2.5 day Understanding Racism Workshop alumni, and you have not yet heard from us, please let us know so we may add you to the list.

COS and a few other local churches are working with Plaster Creek Stewards to build wildlife habitats and promote creation-care education as part of the National Wildlife Federation’s Sacred Grounds program (www.nwf.org/sacredgrounds). Each church is receiving $1500 from an NWF grant. We will use our funds to build a new rain garden in the swale that recently flooded on the east side of our parking lot. The garden will be planted with native species that attract wild bees and butterflies. Stay tuned for work dates in May. For more info contact Ginny Kuilema, Kristin Lee, or David Koetje.