Following our announcement at the end of this past Sunday’s  service, here is an overview of what’s happening on Sunday mornings as we enter into the new program year. Put another way, here’s the “Big Picture” for Sundays at COS.

First, the  BIG, BIG, BIG PICTURE:

We are worshiping at 10am.  All of us.  Everybody.  BES, SES, children, everyone.

There is something good about all of us being in this building, under one roof, worshiping our Creator together.  And so, big, big, big picture, we will be worshiping together at 10am.

 

Next, we have the BIG BIG PICTURE:

Over the past couple of years, as we anticipated and entered into this time of transition, staff and council have been praying over and analyzing the input that we have gathered from all the congregation and through our first-hand experience, through surveys, and through the Crossing Over process. From this input, we have determined that COS does an excellent job of worshiping together. We value worship, and it shows.

We also understand that being a follower of Christ and a member of a body of believers should involve more than just worshiping together. In other words, it should involve more than just showing up at 10am to worship.  Members of Christ’s body should also seek ways to nurture their faith through Bible Study, discipleship, thoughtful discussion of current events from a reformed perspective, acts of service, fellowship, and more.

Worship is central to our membership in Christ’s body—but it isn’t the ONLY membership expectation. We are building, therefore, other opportunities for spiritual growth and Christian fellowship into our Sunday schedule. What will that look like?

 

Well, that brings us to the BIG PICTURE:

The rhythm of Sunday mornings will be as follows:

At 9am, we will be offering opportunities for all ages to deepen their faith through Bible Study, thoughtful discussions from a Christian perspective, and Sunday school.

 

  • Len Vander Zee and Andrew Mead will lead Bible Study of the sermon text in the Living Room.
  • Discussions and presentations on a variety of important topics will take place in Room 3, right next to the café.
  • High School students, college students, and adults are invited to participate in these sessions.
  • Regular Sunday school classes will be offered for 4-year-olds through 12th grade.
  • Additionally, on the first Sunday of every month we will continue to offer Intergenerational Sunday School—an opportunity for you to gather around a table with people of all ages to grow in your faith while rubbing shoulders with saints who may be 4 years old or 94 years old.

At 10am we will worship together.

At 11:30am we will have opportunities to deepen our fellowship with each other. Our high school seniors want to get to know retirement age seniors, college students are looking for new ways to connect with adults who are living out their faith in the workplace, BES members and SES members long to know each other better, and new members are seeking ways to get plugged into the life and rhythm of COS.

Staff and Council have set up a structure that we hope will encourage everyone to deepen our fellowship with other members of this church body.

  • On the first Sunday of every month, all of us will be invited to stay for a congregational dinner at 11:30am.
  • On the 2nd Sunday of the month, we are creating space for committees and teams to meet. We want more of you to find ways to use your gifts in God’s kingdom—and we recognize that one of the biggest obstacles to getting involved is finding time to meet.  And so, if your committee is struggling to find a time to meet, we want you to know that we are designating the 2nd Sunday of the month as a time for Committees to meet—because we value your participation in the work of this church.
  • The 3rd Sundays of the month will be called Household Sundays. Staff and Council believe that Households are a vital way to build fellowship with members of Christ’s body.  And so we want to designate a Sunday where households are encouraged to meet.  If you’re not a member of a household or you are a college student and you want to be in a household, Chris Klein will be working diligently to find or create a household for you.  But we want our Sunday rhythm to show that we also value fellowship.
  • The 4th Sundays will be free—because we want you to know that we also value Sabbath rest.

So that’s the big picture. And now for a zoomed in look at our next few weeks together…

For the next 2 Sundays, September 17 and 24, during the 9am and the 11:30am hour, we will be holding a “Tables and Tours Ministry Fair” in the café area and the fellowship space. Tables representing all of the different ministries of COS will be located around the perimeter of the café, and representatives will be at these tables to answer any questions you may have or help you find ways to get involved. Additionally, you will be invited to join a tour group that will lead you all around the church and allow you to see where all of the different ministries take place in and around our building.

And then on October 1, we will begin our rhythm of gathering at 9am for our first intergenerational Sunday school, we will worship together at 10am, and then everyone -All of us.  Everybody.  BES, SES, children, everyone will be invited to a picnic at Jaycees Mackay park—where there will be inflatables.

Much thought and prayer has been put into this new rhythm for how we spend our Sundays together. We will continue to pray that you will find ways to get involved and add your own beat to the rhythm of COS.