Happening This Sunday
New Member class meets at 9am for the final time. We meet in the church living room (near the church office) for an opportunity to consider the importance of membership and to continue to learn more about our congregation.
This Sunday will be the conclusion of a two week GPS, at 9am in room 3: Todd Cioffi, director of the Calvin Prison Initiative (CPI), will provide an overview of mass incarceration in the US and the role of higher education in transforming our prisoners. Come and hear what God is doing through the CPI program, including testimonies from a former CPI student and current Handlon Prison administrator.
Congratulations to our 2nd grade graduates! This Sunday is the last day that our 2nd graders will be invited to participate in Children’s Worship. Beginning next week they will all be joining their larger church family in the worship space. To mark their graduation from Children’s Worship, each of our 2nd graders will receive a Bible this Sunday. Please welcome them warmly and encourage them in this next leg of their faith journey.
A Children and Communion class will be offered Sunday, May 19th, following worship: Meeting in the Living Room at 11:45am, the Children and Communion Class is for children who may wish to participate in the Lord’s Supper at a later date (A parent should attend with their child). This is an age-appropriate class about the meaning of communion and the commitment of (possible) future participation in the Lord’s Supper. To sign up, please send an email to andrea.saul@coscrc.org
Volunteers, Annette & Andrea want to give you a thank-you gift! Find us in the café area during coffee time and receive your gift!
Next Sunday
There will be no Sunday School or Adult Ed programs next Sunday, May 26. At our SES service in the large sanctuary, we welcome Rev. Jack Roeda to the pulpit.
Youth News
High School – Last week of our program year!
Small Groups are encouraged to meet the week of May 19.
Summer Plans: June 24 -27, 6-8pm: VBS! Sign up in the café to be a VBS Volunteer!
Drive-In Movie Night, Beach Day, Tubing Day, Michigan’s Adventure dates are TBD. Stay tuned!
Profession of Faith: Interested? Public Profession of Faith is a mile marker on our faith journey that we encourage members of our church family to consider. When we are baptized, God claims us as his child. When we profess our faith, we claim God as our Creator and Savior. If you are ready to affirm the promises that God made to you in your baptism—or at least learn more about this process, talk to Annette. (Note: 2 high school students are currently making plans to profess their faith. Want to join them? Talk to me soon!)
Middle Schoolers – Mark your calendars! Outing to the Getty Drive-in Movie Theater, Friday, June 14. (Date subject to change should the Getty not be showing an age-appropriate movie that evening)
Church News
General Fund Giving Report – Our giving for Sunday Service 05/12 including (the weekly online giving) totaled $17,499. Our giving for the month of May is currently at $51,649.
Results for our May 13 Blood Drive: We had 23 people sign in, and 21 were able to donate. MANY THANKS to all who came out to support our blood drive! You have made a real difference in someone’s life, and a very valuable contribution to our community! We hope to add some new donors at the next drive on Monday, August 26. The need for blood donations is great – 560 pints a day for Michigan hospitals. Consider if you could share your gift of life. Thank you! –Beth Karanicola and Ruth Huisman, Drive Chairs
The Micah Center and some local congregations invite all interested persons to a presentation by Ernesto Cortés, Jr., co-chair of the national Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), and executive director of the West/Southwest IAF, on Thursday evening, May 30th at 7 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Gymnasium, 250 Brown St. SE, (north of Burton, west of Madison). The IAF provides leadership training and civics education to poor and moderate-income people across the US and UK.
The Meijer Simply Give Spring campaign runs May 12 through June 22, 2019. You are encouraged to purchase $10 Meijer Simply Give donation cards at the Cascade Meijer during this time period, and the COS food pantry will receive credit for the donation. In addition, Meijer will hold Double Match Days, on Friday May 31 and Friday Jun 14. For every $10.00 Simply Give card purchase at Cascade Meijer on Double Match Days, Meijer will match this with $20.00, so the COS food pantry will benefit with a $30.00 gift! If you buy a 30.00 Meijer Simply Give card, it will turn into a $90.00 gift to the COS food pantry. Ellen Westrate will collect monies from those who cannot easily go to the Cascade Meijer and will purchase these cards on your behalf on Double Match day. Please give your name and money in an envelope to Ellen. COS serves about 100 families a month in our church and our community through our pantry.
Senior high school graduation baskets – COS members are invited to celebrate the achievements of our graduating COS students by signing up in the café to provide an item for each of our seniors in our annual “Senior Grad Basket” (Grad baskets will be available June 2).
The summer volunteer schedule is in mailboxes this week. If you are scheduled for serving coffee, providing communion elements, or serving in nursery, please check the date and if you have a conflict, find someone to switch with and let Diane Jonker know- diane.jonker@coscrc.org – 956-7611. You may also check out the new schedule on the COS website. Thank you!
COS is seeking a part-time Children’s Ministry Coordinator. We wish Andrea Saul and her family God’s richest blessings as they move to North Carolina where Garrett will serve as the pastor of a church. Her departure leaves us with a vacancy that should be filled soon. If you have a desire to nurture the faith of young children, please consider applying for this position. The Children’s Ministry Coordinator (CMC) will work with the Minister of Faith Formation to provide visionary leadership and oversight of the faith formation ministries that directly serve the children of the congregation ages 2½-years-old – 6th grade. The CMC equips and encourages children’s ministry volunteers and the wholecongregation* to instruct and nurture the faith of children at COS to the end that we all become and make faithful disciples of Jesus. (*At COS, congregation includes 2 worshiping bodies: 10am service in main worship space, and 10am Basic English Service in Fellowship Space.) This position is 15-17 hours/week for 46-48 weeks/year. A complete job description is available by clicking coscrc.org/jobs Applications are being accepted through May 27. Please submit resume and cover letter to annette.ediger@coscrc.org
Registration is open for the June 20-22 Understanding Racism Workshop. This workshop experience is designed to explore the deep racial complexity of the United States and begin to explore paths for reconciliation. Our goal is to gain insight in understanding systemic racism through the eyes of faith and Scripture. We encourage all leaders and members at Church of the Servant to attend one of these workshops. This effort helps us to become focused and work together to address one of our country’s greatest troubles. Register on line at CORRnow.org. Questions? Contact janice.mcwhertor@gmail.com