Creation Season, October 2, 2022
This Sunday:
This Sunday, October 2, Rev. Karen Campbell will preach from Leviticus 25:1-7 and Luke 6:1-5 in the large service. Rev. Andrew Mead will preach in the All Nations Worship Service in Room 4. This Sunday marks the beginning of our First Sunday Meals. Everyone is invited to remain after worship to eat and fellowship in the Café.
The 10 am large service will be streamed via Zoom.
Sign up for our Newsletter to receive the Zoom links.
Children’s Ministry News:
Makeup Volunteer Training, Sunday, Oct. 9 During Sunday School (11:45am-12:30pm). If you plan to volunteer in any of our children or youth ministry programs this season, but missed the first volunteer training event, please attend on Oct. 9 during the Sunday school hour. The room location will be announced on Oct. 9. Thank you for serving!
Church News:
Current Giving for the month of September: $71,193
Giving for the month of August: $99,328
Giving for September 2021: $75,587
Monthly budgeted General Fund Giving is: $120,552
We have been staffing the church’s front desk with volunteers for the past few months. We would like to continue doing this for a few additional months but are looking for additional volunteers. This work includes answering the phone, answering the front door, assisting Food Pantry walk-ins, and various order entry tasks. The hours are Mondays-Fridays from 10:00am-2:00pm. We are particularly in need for someone on Fridays. There is plenty of down-time, so you could bring a book or knit. If you are interested or would like additional information, contact Monica at monica.smith@coscrc.org or call the church office. Thank you to the current volunteers, the Staff greatly appreciates your willingness to serve COS in this way.
Thank you for your faithful commitment to our community through the support of the Feeding America Mobile Food Truck. This is a monthly ministry which takes boxes of food, repacks them, and distributes to people who drive through the distribution line. If you have given to this ministry in the past, there has been a change in the donation structure: checks are no longer to be sent to FEEDWestMI but given through the church instead. Every month in which COS hosts a FAMFT, we pay $500 for the truck’s food. If this is a ministry in which you would like to give of your time, contact Dan Voetberg or Deb Wood to be on the schedule.
Parents of young children: there is an intergenerational Bible study that meets on Thursdays with childcare available. There has also been a request for a time when dads/moms with a baby or preschooler have an opportunity for conversation while the children play together. So how about getting together on Tuesdays from 9:30-11. Meet in Room 5 (beyond the café toward the end of the hall). Contact Nancy Remelts for questions.
If you have a 2021 Church Directory, you may notice it is outdated in many ways. Therefore, we are setting a goal to print a new Church Directory in January 2023. We need the help of everyone by sending an updated photo. Secondly, if you have moved, new phone number, email, etc., we would appreciate those updates as well. Send photos and updates to monica.smith@coscrc.org.
Position Opening – All Nations Worship Coordinator
Compensation: 20 hours/week starting at $18/hour
Reports to: Co-Pastor Andrew Mead
Summary of Position: To cultivate, empower, and sustain a multicultural, multilingual worshipping community. The All Nations Worship Coordinator will work as part of a team consisting of Co-Pastor Andrew, Co-Pastor Karen, All Nations music teams, the All Nations Music Assistant, and the SES Worship Coordinator. A key component for cultivating multicultural worship will be building relationships across a variety of cultures. In collaboration with the team listed above, the All Nations Worship Coordinator will find creative ways to gather songs and enable them to be sung as part of the worship services that ensures a colorful expression of kingdom worship across cultures. This requires creating space for the spiritual gifts of many congregants to be offered in the service. Overseeing the weekly administration of the service – from volunteer involvement to service planning – is also key to the success of this position. Find the complete job description here
The Classis Grand Rapids East workday with Habitat for Humanity has been rescheduled to Saturday, October 8. The building permit has been granted and the hole dug on Diamond Street. The house will be a three-plex built with insulated concrete forms – i.e., styrofoam Lego blocks. We are looking for a small number of volunteers to represent COS. If you would like to help, contact Jim Bradley.
Scripture Reading – Anyone is welcome to sign up to read scripture for our worship services. We need two readers every Sunday, and we value seeing a variety of people participating in this way. Children who are confident readers are welcome to sign up. Scripture texts will be emailed to you on Wednesday afternoon. To sign up for a date, go to the church website: https://www.churchoftheservantcrc.org/worship/ and click on the link for scripture reading.
From the COS Anti Racism Team: Learn how the Jim Crow Era embedded racism in American Society: The Grand Rapids Citizens’ Climate Lobby chapter is hosting another field trip and you are invited to tour the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University in Big Rapids. They hosted a similar event in August and there seemed demand for another.
The Museum is the nation’s largest publicly accessible collection of artifacts of intolerance, contextualizing the dreadful impact of Jim Crow laws and customs. The Museum uses objects of intolerance to teach tolerance and promote a more just society. The Church of the Servant Anti-Racism Team organized such a trip a few years ago—and it is well worth the time. The tour is being sponsored by the Environmental Justice Committee of the Grand Rapids Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Contact Tom McWhertor.
The group will meet at 11:30 on Wednesday, Wednesday, October 5th and will return between 4:00 and 5 pm. Being climate change conscious, we will be carpooling from the Park and Ride lot on West River Drive at MI-131.
There is no charge and group size is limited. Registration is required:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/promoting-social-justice-tickets-415704211487
October is Pastor Appreciation month. At COS, we would like to recognize Pastor Karen and Pastor Andrew with notes and cards of appreciation. For the five Sundays in October, baskets will be on the café counter in which to put your cards.
FAQs: Staff Edition
Who do I ask to reserve a room for a COS function or a family rental? Monica
Who do I make aware if a restroom or room needs to be cleaned? Monica
Who do I contact if I see an issue with the facilities (leak, heat, broke)? Monica
Who do I send bulletin announcements to? office@coscrc.org (by 8:30 am Thursdays)
Read future bulletins for more Staff FAQ’s.