This Sunday at COS:
On this Christ the King Sunday, Rev. Todd Cioffi will preach from Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 and Matthew 25:31-46 in the Tree of Life service in the large sanctuary. Rachel Park, one of our seminary interns will preach in the All Nations Worship service in room 4.
The 10 am Tree of Life Service will also be broadcast via Zoom. Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.
Events Coming Up:
December 3
Christmas Brunch following our Prism combined worship service. To remind all of how this works: you will be assigned to contribute something based on your last name. Place your food in the café on one of the serving tables before the service. Have the food ready to be served—cut, sliced, and uncovered. The ovens and fridge in the kitchen will be available, as will serving spoons and knives. Enjoy the worship service and then head to the café to enjoy fellowship together. Your serving dish will be on a table near the kitchen.
Volunteers are needed to help with serving punch and to clear empty serving dishes. Please contact Jill Frazee-Eitman if you would like to help
Last names beginning:
A – E something “brunchy” —egg dish, deviled eggs, etc
F – K bread, muffins, bars or cookies
L – R veggies
S – Z fruit
December 17
O Antiphons Advent service at Church of the Servant – December 17, 2023 at 6 pm.The COS O Antiphons Advent service makes use of a series of medieval prayers referred to as the O Antiphons. They were composed for use in evening prayer services on the last seven days of Advent. They are best known to us as the seven verses of the advent hymn, O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Each antiphon is a petition for Christ to come, addressing the Messiah with a title from Old Testament prophecies. In anticipation of this year’s service, we invite members of the congregation to contribute artwork for our worship. If you would like to contribute artwork for this year’s service, please contact Maria Stapert, COS Worship Coordinator. Artwork is not limited to paintings nor limited to professional artists. Learn more here.
December 24
10 am • Prism Service with Intergenerational telling of God’s salvation story (more details coming for how to participate in the service)
11 pm • Communion & candlelight service
December 25
10 am • Christmas Day service
Church Announcements:
The food pantry here at COS serves dozens of people a month. Individuals and families supplement their basic food items thanks to the generosity of COS friends and members via Meijer Simply Give dollars. However, the Simply Give dollars cannot be used for personal items. Our clients ask for soap, laundry detergent, dish soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and diapers regularly. We provide these items, but it is difficult to keep them in stock. If you would like to donate personal items for our neighbors, please drop them off at the food pantry door or in the church office. Thank you!
Security Team Members Needed: The Security Team is entrusted with keeping the members, guests, and visitors physically safe and secure by endeavoring to make a safe facility, assistance in case of a medical emergency, and basic protection from fire, abuse, and intrusion. This Team is looking for volunteers to rotate Sundays and Wednesdays. For questions, to volunteer, or for a copy of the Security Team Mandate, contact monica.smith@coscrc.org or the church office.
Facilities Team is looking for some shoveling volunteers who will monitor the snow fall during Sunday services and Wednesday activities, and be willing to clear the sidewalks. Contact Bob Hoeksema or Monica Smith if you are willing to shovel snow.
Advent Dance: Advent Season begins on Sunday, December 3. Have you considered participating in the opening song “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”? Now is your chance. Anyone 5 years old and older is welcome to join. Rehearsal will be held Saturday, December 2 at 10AM. Questions, contact Julie Yonkers.
Medical On-Call Team: In addition to more Security Team members, the Security Team is looking to form a sub-group with current or retired medical professionals who would be willing to be on the schedule for a Sunday morning emergency. This person would become the point person for the emergency, with support from the Security Team and Sunday Facilities Coordinator who would contact 911 and direct emergency vehicles. Hopefully, the Medical On-Call Team would be a safety net we don’t use very often. If you are willing and able to be part of the MOCT or for more information, contact the Church Administrator, Monica, or one of the co-chairs of the Security Team Dave Stransky or Isaac Young.
Pledge Drive: In these final weeks of 2023, we as COS members and friends can put our money where our mission is: “Rooted in Christ and nurtured by the Spirit, we grow in God’s grace to share gifts of refuge, fellowship, and hope.” Both in our year-end giving and in our pledges for the 2024 General Fund, we are saying that we really want to “create a community where the burdened and suffering will find shelter, where the alienated will be accepted, and where those seeking God will be shown the way.” Please make your pledge – whether large or small – before the end of the year by completing this online form, or using the paper form that will be available in December. If you have questions, contact a member of the Stewardship Committee – Chuck Hampton, Joan Huyser-Honig, Carol Rienstra, Michael Zahrt, Andrew Zwart.
New art up in the Artery: This show by COS member Betsy Ratzsch is a fundraiser for Women’s Personal Hygiene items, which are often not covered by the usual sources of aid. The paintings have been priced at lower than regular prices and 100% of the amount goes to the fund. Maybe one could even be a gift for someone special! Questions: contact Betsy Ratzsch. Thank you, from The Artery Committee
Friendship ESL had its highest attendance of the fall term last week, and we’re thankful for that. Yet higher attendance stretches limits, which now beg for expansion. Needed: evening tutors, substitute tutors, and DRIVERS for morning and evening pickups. The latter corps are the brave souls who say about weather “No windshield droplets, no windy gusts, no sunless evenings disable us.” The fact is, car-less friends at ANW and beyond want to learn English. Brave transporters are needed. — Mark the coordinator
New Staff Member: Shawn Brayboy. We’re delighted to introduce you to Shawn Brayboy, serving COS as facilities coordinator. This role is responsible for the preparation of the COS facility so that it is a ready and reliable resource for the programs, ministries, staff, and members of the church thereby helping to ensure the fulfillment the church’s vision and mission. A little about Shawn: Corshawn Brayboy is a multifaceted professional with a diverse skill set and a dynamic background. His academic journey saw him graduating from Kalamazoo Valley Community College and later attending WMU where he laid the foundation for his varied career. At the heart of his personal life, Corshawn is a dedicated family man. Married to Nicole Battle-Brayboy, he is a loving father to four children, two boys, and two girls. His role as a husband and father deeply influences his work, infusing it with a sense of purpose and commitment. Beyond his professional and family commitments, Corshawn is deeply passionate about continually learning and growing in his field. He spends considerable time consuming and analyzing content related to branding, video editing, and content creation. This ongoing pursuit of knowledge not only keeps him at the forefront of industry trends but also ensures that his work remains fresh, innovative, and relevant. Read his full bio here.
Preaching Schedule
Dec. 3 Prism service – Pastor Andrew Mead
Dec. 10 ANS – Charles Rugiramarora, TOL – Pastor Mary Hulst
Dec. 17 ANS – Ruth Lemmen, TOL – Pastor Andrew Mead
Dec. 24 10 am – Intergenerational Program, 11 pm – Len Vander Zee