Zion E-News (2-25-2021)

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Someone on my social media feed asked earlier this week for people to share the gospel in a single post. Following are a few of the answers:

  • God restoring the broken image in His creation and redeeming it back to Himself. Accomplished through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the work of His Spirit empowered faith community. Enabling our true flourishing in right relationship with God and others.
  • God’s renewal of the cosmos through His Son by the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • Jesus is Lord
  • God loves you so much that God came in the form of a man to reveal God’s true nature and love for you and bring you into relationship with him.
  • “God was pleased to have all fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to him all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)

Later in his life, the great 20th century theologian Karl Barth was asked to summarize the gospel in a single sentence and as the story goes, he responded with this beautiful children’s song: Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.

How would you summarize the gospel, the hope we have in Christ?
– Greg

Connect to God


This Sunday we will gather in person at 9 am and online at both 9 and 11 am. You can find the services either on our Facebook page or at zionreformed.online.church. We will also rebroadcast the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday.

Christianity at its core is not about thinking the right things about God or knowing our Bibles inside and out, but about following Jesus. The earliest believers were called Christians because they looked and acted like little Christs, little Jesuses. In Mark 6, Jesus goes home to Nazareth and receives less than a warm welcome. The people think they already know Jesus and so reject his teaching. The disciples, however, trust Jesus and in trusting him are sent out to teach, heal and cast our demons. One group puts Jesus in a box of their own making and another lets Jesus run wild over their life and sees the power of God at work in them. Where might we need to let Jesus out of our boxes so we can see the power of God already at work around us?

We will also celebrate the ordination of Jeremy Zoet to the office of Elder during worship. This is one step in Jeremy’s journey to become a Commissioned Pastor in the Reformed Church in America.

Grow in Community

If you would like to keep up with Steve Landstra’s health journey as he battles lung cancer, the family has set up a CaringBridges page and you can find it here.

In the last decade, a giant cultural wave has swept the North American church into a brand new world — a pluralistic, complicated, high-tech/low-touch world that has only been accelerated during this Covid-time. Facing the challenge of engaging a jaded world, a fresh expression has emerged alongside the traditional church. If you have any interest in church planting or how to reach new generations, join us for a 3 week discussion led by Andrew Moore of the book Fresh Expressions of the Church. You can sign-up for this book discussion by e-mailing Pastor Greg at gbrower@zionreformed.org.

We are reading through the New Testament over the next year as a congregation. The reading schedule for this coming week is below:
Monday: Luke 22
Tuesday: Luke 23
Wednesday: Luke 24
Thursday: Luke 25
Friday: Luke 26

You can also find the reading schedule on our website under the Ministries tab.

Serve the World


We received an update recently from Jibit Asha (our church planting partner in Nepal). Following is just a brief lightly edited excerpt:

One of our church planters from west-north of Nepal  trained three Timothies with Jibit Asha multiplication training. He sent them into three different villages after the training. After about the six months of continuing mentoring and discipleship, God began to work through these three Timothies. Last week, these three Timothies brought 22 new believers in one place for the baptism. What a way to reach the least reached people. Multiplication happens when Timothies are raised.

Your financial and prayer support is leading to lives and whole communities changed by the gospel in Nepal.

If you need help, either with food, personal care items, help grocery shopping, or with financial needs, please contact Chip Harkes, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is chip@harkeslandscape.com and his phone number is 616-299-4804.



Administration

Willingness to serve on Consistory forms are due this Sunday. Please make sure to drop them off at the office or place them in the box at the welcome center by this Sunday.

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:  $399,238.64
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $393,375.47
Giving Last Week: $8,677.00