Zion E-News (8-16-2018)

This summer, our family has been introduced to the marching band program at Jenison High School. I went to a high school without a football team and marching was reserved for Tulip Time Parades and Memorial Day, so the learning curve for this dad is steep.

Over the summer, students have had multiple practices every week, including 3 weeks of all day practices. The band will easily put in over 150 hours of practice this summer. And that doesn’t count all the practice time spent at home by each of the members. I expected lots of music practicing, but did not anticipate the stretching, running, and strict diet for competition days. I was talking with one of the other parents recently and they commented how glad they were for their child to experience what it takes to be excellent at something. It takes a lot of work. Often boring and tedious work.

As adults, we know this to be true. No one becomes a world class musician without hours of practice. No one makes it to the pinnacle of their sport without sacrifices. No one becomes an excellent accountant or computer programmer or tool and die maker without putting in the work to develop their skills. No one becomes a great parent without developing more skills than can be named here. And so on. Being great at something takes a lot of work. In one of his books, Malcolm Gladwell claims it takes 10,000 of practice to become truly great at something. That would be a 40 hour a week job for 5 years to become great!

And yet sometimes, we can think that following God should be easy. Experiencing closeness with God should be easy. Becoming generous and kind and patient and joyful should “just happen” when we believe. But, like any pursuit, becoming more like Jesus, learning to follow Jesus, takes lots of practice.

Several years ago, I was talking with a couple about their prayer life and they mentioned how they had started challenging each other to “pray through the alphabet” as they addressed God. To find a name for God for each letter of the alphabet. It sounded a little corny, but it is also a great discipline for expanding our understanding and experience of God. I know others who get up every day at 5 am to read the Bible and pray. For years, I have read through the Bible every year. Others carefully choose the music they listen to so their music will lead them closer to God rather than further away. Others tithe or go beyond a tithe to develop a habit of being generous. None of this happens by accident, it takes work, effort, and intentionality.

I wonder sometimes how our spiritual lives would be different if we took our relationship with God, our obedience to his commands, as seriously as we expect our kids to take their extra-curricular activities.

Connect to God

Does prayer work? What can we expect from prayer? How do we pray anyway? Have you ever wondered why the disciples never asked Jesus how to preach or perform miracles – and all they asked Him was how to pray? Prayer gives us access to the very throne room of God. In prayer, we are shaped by the Holy Spirit. In prayer, we talk directly with the King of the Universe. Over the next several weeks, we will consider how Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer. This week, we consider the fourth of six request for bread. What does it mean to pray for bread in a world where some have more than they need and others have empty stomachs.

If you would like a copy of the worship service, you can receive a complete copy by contacting Tom Verbrugge or you can find the weekly messages on our website.

Grow in Community
We are grateful for over 60 people serving in our Children’s education ministries this year. And yet, we are still looking for 2 kindergarten Sunday school teachers. Please be in prayer that God will work in the heart of whomever he has called to these ministries that they would step forward to raise the next generation up in the faith.

If you are a hunter or want to expose your children to hunting, Zion will be hosting a Hunter’s Safety Class this fall in partnership with Sports Persons International, a Christian outdoors ministry. Classes will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 on September 10, 12, 17, and 19. You can sign-up or learn more here.

We have T-shirts (short, long, and hoodies) available with our Zion logo on the front. If you are looking for any easy way to show your pride in your church, let your neighbors know you are willing to talk about your faith, or just want a cool new shirt, check out the link below to order your very own shirt! Shirts range in price from $16 to $24. You can order a shirt through September 9. If you are uncomfortable ordering on-line, you can also call the office and we will be happy to help you place an order. You can order your shirt here. You can also see 6 samples below.

Do you want some good food, friends and fellowship? Then this is the opportunity for you! 729 groups bring 7 to 9 willing people together to meet for a meal 3x in 3 months. The goal is simply to get to know some people in church better. Once groups are formed, the host will contact members to arrange the details for the first gathering. Dinner groups are encouraged to be creative; consider picking a dinner “theme night” (i.e. Italian, dessert or soup night), and everyone can bring a dish that goes along with that theme or meet at a restaurant or church. You can sign-up through the cards found in the bulletin or call the church office at 616-534-7533.

Serve the World
CityFest is only a few weeks away. Check out the list of artists performing here. This is going to be a great weekend and opportunity for many people to hear the gospel. Join me in praying already now for good weather and a harvest for the kingdom of God.

Administrative Details
We will be holding our next Leaders Meeting on August 26 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. We look forward to a great evening of fellowship, worship, and some training.

If you are serving in any Children or Youth ministry you will want to attend as we will be offering training on our child protection policies. You must go through this training or the one following worship on September 9 to volunteer in any ministry involving children or youth.

Beginning this fall, we will be giving our first time visitors a new 30oz Zion travel mug and a free beverage at Biggby. But, you can get your very own Zion travel mug already on Sunday. We will be selling the mugs for $20 and you can buy as many as you want. They come in two colors, silver and gunmetal and both have a cool looking Zion logo. Cups will be available for purchase in the lobby following worship. (If you don’t want to buy one on a Sunday, they will also be available from the office during the week.)

We continue to thank God for his provision of all of our needs and for the generous support of our congregation with their time, talent, and treasures. We also thank you for your generous support of our Benevolence fund during our offering last Sunday. Over $1,000 was given to care for those in our congregation experiencing financial needs. Thank you for sharing out of the blessings God has given you.

Fiscal Year to date budget: $119,627.20
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $109,152.31