Zion E-News (1-2-2020)

Currently, we are as close to the year 1990 as the year 2050. In 1990, I was a junior in High School. By 2050, I will hopefully be retired at 76. Life goes by pretty fast. Where will you be?

When you are young and just starting out, you think you will climb some big mountains and anything seems possible.As you get older the limits of time, capabilities, and opportunity become more obvious. A friend of mine just turned 50 and commented that at 40 you can pretend you are not quite halfway, but at 50 you know there are fewer days ahead of you than behind.

Each day we get 24 hours. Each week we get 7 days. Each year we get 365 days. And for most, less than 100 years. Some people spend those days trying to keep other people happy, others spend them trying to earn more money or get more stuff, others go through life trying to avoid pain and find pleasure. How are you spending your days?

Before he left his disciples, Jesus gave them a very simple command: Go and make disciples. Baptize them. Teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded. What might Good do with a group of people who spend their limited days doing this one simple thing?

Connect to God
Someone once said Christians claim God came as a baby because no one would be scared of a baby. The Biblical account begs to differ. Immediately, the rulers of the day felt threatened by Jesus and his family find themselves fleeing as refugees to Egypt. Herod driven by the fear of losing his power, uses that power to violently oppress his people. God, having all true power, sets it aside and chooses to stand with the poor and vulnerable of our world. The love of God leads to setting aside power and instead lifting up and standing with the least of these. In Matthew 2, we are reminded Jesus looks at the world form the bottom up.

This Sunday, we will celebrate communion, also called The Lord’s Super or the Eucharist. This is the family meal of Christians.  We invite all committed followers of Jesus Christ to partake of this sacrament: those who are baptized members of a congregation that proclaims the gospel, who are at peace with God and with their neighbor, and who seek strength to live more faithfully for Christ.  If you are not a Christian, or if you are not prepared to share in this meal, we encourage you to spend this time in prayer.  We hope that this time is helpful to you as you consider your relationship with Jesus Christ and with His people, the church.

We will also welcome several new members (Dan and Ashley Copron and Debbie Coke) and celebrate the baptism of Odin Copron.

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
Continue to pray for Thelma VanderZouwen as she undergoes rehab at Brookcrest and for those in our congregation who deal with ongoing health issues.

Congratulations to Rob and Sara Olger on the birth of their daughter Riley Irene.  Riley arrived at 2:51am on Christmas morning weighing 6lbs 12oz. Praise God for this wonderful gift!

Congratulations to Chris and Katie Bremer on the birth of their son Parker James. Parker was born at 34 weeks on December 27 weighing in at 3lbs 11oz and was 16.5” long. We praise God for his life and give thanks for a safe delivery. Prayers for the family are appreciated as Parker continues to grow and develop in the NICU at Spectrum Hospital.

Jackie Kolkmans went to be with her Lord and Savior on December 31st. The family is planning a memorial service to be held in February. Details will be shared when they are available.

Serve the World
Last week, I received a Christmas card from the Jenison Public School Parent Liaisons, they wrote: “Thank you so much for your outreach team partnering with JPS through the personal care pantry. It has already been such a bless to our Jenison families. We also look forward to our upcoming partnership through Kids Hope.”

Together, we are making a difference in our community in the name of Jesus. Thank you.

Administrative Details
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: $343,846.42
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $330,398.84