Zion E-News (4-11-2019)
The Pastor, to my good friend Gaius: How truly I love you! We’re the best of friends, and I pray for good fortune in everything you do, and for your good health—that your everyday affairs prosper, as well as your soul! ~ 3 John 1-2 (MSG)
A friend of mine posted the verse above on their facebook wall this morning. They had some sort of reason for posting it that I do not remember. But, when I read the verse I immediately thought of our Consistory.
They are great people. They work very hard for our church. They think deeply and carefully about issues. They bring vision and wisdom to our discussions. They come from lots of different backgrounds and perspectives and do the hardworking to listen and understand each other and then follow God together. They disagree and discuss issues with grace and humility. They have a genuine love and care not only for the institution of our church, but even more so for all of you, the people. I love working with them. They bring great support, encouragement, and joy to the life of our church and staff at Zion. If you see a Consistory member on Sunday, take a moment and thank them for their commitment to and leadership of our church.
In not quite a month, several of them will be ending their terms on Consistory and we will be adding 4 new members. As part of our most recent meeting, the Consistory chose the slate of Elder and Deacon nominees from whom our new Consistory members will be elected on May 5 at our annual congregational meeting. The nominees for Elder are: Steve Boersma, Brian Davis, Brandon Dieter,and Brandon Ondersma. The nominees for Deacon are: Robbi Boeve, Jerrod Holzgen, Mark Radcliff, and Dan Sundberg.
Connect to God
From the opening verses of the gospel of John, it is clear that Jesus is God. John stresses Jesus’ unique relationship with God so people would believe Jesus was who he said he was. In the gospel, Jesus claims his divinity by using the phrase I Am seven times, joining the phrase to tremendous metaphors, expressing His saving relationship toward the world and showing that He is everything we need. During this Lenten season we will look at each of these 7 I Am statements. We began on Ash Wednesday considering how Jesus is the bread of life and we conclude today on Palm Sunday as Jesus’ proclaims himself to be the true vine in whom we must remain.
Kids ages 3 through 3rd grade are invited to wave Palm Branches during one of the opening worship songs this coming Sunday, April 14. It’s a fun way to get the kids involved at the beginning of Holy Week. If you see any children in the sanctuary before church, please let them know about the palm branches. I don’t want anyone to feel left out! And, visitors are absolutely welcome to join us!
If interested, lease have your child come to church by 9:20. Kids ages 3 through Young 5’s will meet in Room 207. (the 3 yr. olds room) Kids in Kindergarten-3rd grade will meet in the chapel. We’ll bring them into the sanctuary during the song “Hosanna,” and they’ll walk throughout the sanctuary. After the song, they’ll stay up on the steps for prayer & dismissal, and then head right to children & worship.
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
On Sunday, we will also celebrate with four of our Middle School students and their families as Emily Verbrugge, Taylor DeVries, Samantha Eriks, Noah Brower make profession of faith.
Serve the World
This Sunday Sarah McAnally will be sharing a simple way during the Easter Season to create connections with our neighbors and create an opportunity to present the gospel message to children as well. As you listen to her speak, I urge you to think about the ways you may be able to deepen your connections with non-believers and share the hope we have found in Christ.
Administrative Details
Our next Leaders Meeting, on April 28 from 5-7 pm, will be a great opportunity to reconnect with your ministry teams, review the past year, and look forward to how God will be working among us in the year to come. Everyone who serves in any capacity is welcome to attend the meeting. We hoper to provide child care for children 3rd grade and under. We are still looking for people to serve in childcare that evening. You can sign-up for both the Leaders Meeting and to provide childcare through the connection cards on Sunday. As usual, we will also provide a meal. Mark your calendar and plan on joining us on April 28 at 5 pm. Please sign up this Sunday on the back of the Connection Card.
As we continue working with Elevate Architecture to develop a plan for remodeling our building to create a larger gathering area and children’s spaces, the Consistory has formed a building remodel team. The team includes: Pastor Rick, Andy Boeskool, Brian Davis, Sandie Dunn, Kyle VandePol, Roxie VanderHeide, and Arlyn Zoet.
Our Children’s Ministry redesign team is wrapping up their work and will be presenting a proposal to Consistory at the April 9 meeting. Their goal is to reshape our Children’s programming to align more closely with a fiasco of raising up leaders in our church and reaching our community with the gospel through church planting. The team includes Rachel Brower, Sean McAnally, Heidi Ondersma, Jackie Deiter, and Megan Taylor. They presented their recommendations to Consistory and will be meeting with Consistory again in May to continue their productive conversation.
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.
Fiscal Year to date budget: $489,384.00
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $488,497.27
