This Sunday:
This Sunday, May 16, we will continue to worship using our Zoom format, individually, but still as one body, united in Christ. Rev. Andrew Mead will bring us a message based on the scriptures of 1 John 5:9-13 and Psalm 1. Our Bilingual English/Swahili service worships at 11:30 am with Rev. Karen Campbell preaching. Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.
In our 10 am Zoom service we also have the joy of welcoming new members into the life of the congregation. These new members are:
Matt & Megan Cooke [Miles, Ramona, Penny/Penelope]
Chantale & Josh Garone [Skyler, Jamie]
Molly House Spence & Martin Spence [Caleb, Eleanor, Veronica]
Gail & Ken Soper [Andy]
Kaile & Ben Videtich [Silas, Maelin, Junia]
Following the 10 am service, we invite you to stick around for a GPS session with Pastor Andrew and Pastor Karen. Together, they will share info on returning to in-person worship on May 23 and also field questions from members of the congregation.
Final Re:New Wednesday Nights at COS:
Final RE:NEW Outdoor Children’s Ministry Programming this Wednesday from 6:30-7:30pm on the COS Patio! Our 6 week celebration of God and the beauty of creation is coming to an end this Wednesday night. I hope you’ll bring your children out, and even consider joining us as we hike the COS nature trail, stopping for activities along the way. It’s been quite a learning curve to plan outdoor programming for such a broad age range! Many thanks to the leaders, drivers, and parents who have pitched in to share the love of Jesus with our kids!
Final 6 pm Taize service in the worship space. Join for our final Wednesday Evening Taize Prayer Services in Eastertide In-person 30-minute worship services in the sanctuary at COS. Sign up here.
In-Person Outdoor Worship beginning May 23
COS friends, we look forward to seeing many of you on Pentecost Sunday and throughout the summer. We can testify that our Good Shepherd has been with us through the wilderness of this pandemic. And we look forward in faith and hope that God will continue to shepherd us every step of the way.
In this video we offer some insight into what has been driving some of the decisions around in-person worship, what to expect come Pentecost Sunday (May 23), and ways we sense God leading this community of faith.
To help with planning these services and keeping within the allowed capacity, sign-ups will be made available prior to the services. Additionally, each service will also be broadcast via zoom for those joining from home or elsewhere. Sign up for the COS Newsletter list to receive Signup links and Zoom links each week.
We invite your questions or comments as we move back to regular in-person worship. Please share your comments in the form on this page, or email office@coscrc.org.
Church News:
Financial Update:
Last week’s offering and online giving (includes monthly ach): $39,344
Current giving for the month of May: $51,130
Monthly budgeted General Fund Giving is: $112,926
From the Missions Support Team: COS’s 2021 global missions’ budget is $57,000. Of this, $24,250 will come from the General Fund while $32,750 will come from Faith Promise support. This month we are raising the $32,750 Faith Promise support. Please prayerfully consider your Faith Promise pledge this week. The link to complete your pledge is “Faith Promise Pledge 2021” and is on the COS website. The fourteen missionaries we support are highlighted on this website too. If you wish to receive a pledge in the mail to fill out and return to the church, email or call the COS office at office@coscrc.org or 616-956-7611. Otherwise, send your check to the church at 3835 Burton St. Se, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. Make it out to “Church of the Servant CRC” and mark in the memo line “Faith Promise 2021”. We plan to wrap up our Faith Promise appeal on Pentecost – next week Sunday, May 23. Thanks for your generous support!
As we anticipate moving toward in-person outdoor services this summer, we invite more people to serve as Sunday morning scripture readers. If you would like to read scripture during a morning worship service, please sign up here.
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.
Interested sewers and crafts people: A couple of us have thought about using up fabric from our fabric stash to make mini quilts for neonatal units and making other personal items for mission needs. We could use people to cut fabric to be sewn and sewers with machines. Extra machines maybe available for anyone interested in learning to sew as projects are very simple and easy to make. This could be great opportunity for good social interaction while making needed items. Bring your lunch. Coffee will be available. Date May 24th 10-2 @ COS. We would like to make this a monthly activity for people interested. Men are also welcomed. Please let Claire Elgersma at 6168819878 or Hope Bradley at 6163893073 know if interested or have questions.
The COS Creation Care Team invites COS members to take advantage of the opportunity to hear Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. She is the speaker for this year’s Wege Foundation lecture on Thursday, May 27 from 4-5:30 p.m. The lecture is free, but you must register at wegespeaker2021.eventbrite.com. Please let Ken Verhulst (or Carol Rienstra know if you plan to attend this virtual event so they can get in touch with you about brief follow-up conversations on Sunday, May 30, at 6 p.m. and/or Sunday, June 6, at 7 p.m., and a possible Braiding Sweetgrass book study.
Friends, the COS Refugee Support Team is very sad to share the news that Zahra Shirzad, sister and daughter of two of the Afghan refugees we helped to resettle last year, has passed away after a month in the hospital due to COVID. We are working with Bethany and partners as they assist Zahra’s 5 children who are left without a father or mother. Please pray for the family and for the volunteers and case managers who are trying to support the family. Another way you can help is to donate money to a fund that has been set up to help Zahra’s kids. Follow the link below if you want to do this, and please designate your gift to “Zahra Shirzad/COS” when donating. The link will be open through the 20th.
