Zion E-News (6-10-2021)

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Sometimes, we can all fall into the trap of thinking church is all about the building or the worship service or the kids or youth programming. And, those are all wonderful activities, but the church is not an activity or a building, it is people. You and me.

While we put a lot of time and energy into worship services and youth and children’s programming (and we should because these things deeply matter), they are not the mission of the church. They are tools to help prepare us for the mission of the church, but they are not the goal. They are a means to an end.

The mission of every church and every believer is to love our neighbor. To value their needs, their fears and anxieties, their hopes and dreams in the same way we value those things in our lives. A couple months ago now, I read in a commentary that when Jesus summarizes the law as being loving God and loving others, he does so in the Greek in a way that implies the way you love God is by loving others. In other words, the way we worship God best is in serving others. When we feed hungry people and house homeless people and mentor kids struggling in school and provide clothes for those who need them, we are loving God. This fits so well with the worldview of the prophets who tell us repeatedly in the Old Testament that God was upset with his people for two reasons: worshiping false gods and not caring for the poor and powerless among them. God has always linked our love for him with our love for others.

I mention this because on Tuesday night, one of our Consistory members shared how they had heard about our Kids Hope ministry and care for teachers at Bursley this year from a co-worker. I regularly have people tell me about ways they have been impacted by Hand2Hand, Camp Zion, and the Personal Care Pantry and I am sure we will soon add stories from Threads. Zion has an out sized impact on our community because of the huge hearts you all have for God and the people who bear his image.

In my office, I have our 7 year vision written on a white board and it reads: Zion will overflow with new and developing leaders to flood Grandville, Wyoming, Jenison, and Hudsonville with gospel conversations leading to life transformation and new faith communities.

Just this week, I saw us live into this vision as people swarmed the stage to affirm and encourage the youth who led us in worship Sunday night and as Rachel Verbrugge and Jeremy Zoet poured into our Camp Zion staff and as Jill Austin steps up to lead Threads after praying for God to show her what was next for her. God is working among us. Let’s keep our eyes open to see and our feet ready to chase after and join God in his great work.

Greg

Connect to God
This Sunday we will gather in person at 9:30 am and online at 9:30 and 11 am. The online service will be pre-recorded and abbreviated as we will not be live-streaming our outdoor services over the summer. You can find the services either on our Facebook page or at zionreformed.online.church. We will also rebroadcast a version of the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday.

In Peter’s second letter, he is once again writing to the churches of Asia-Minor, but this time he does so as a final farewell. He knows his life is drawing to a close and so he urges them to both keep growing in the faith and to be on their guard for false teachers, to stay true to Jesus and reject the lies of cheap grace. This Sunday as we continue our study of this letter, Peter confronts the false teachers who say Jesus is not coming back to judge the world and set things right and we consider what it means to live in the hope of the day when God’s will is done on earth as it already is in heaven.

Communion, also called The Lord’s Super or the Eucharist, 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.

Grow in Community
We will be hosting a Park Playdate on June 16 from 6:30 to 8 pm. Come on out to connect with others in person!  We’ll have water balloons & bubbles for the kids, and ice cream treats for everyone. All ages welcome. Feel free to invite friends to join us!

After church this Sunday, we hope you will stay to enjoy some cookies and maybe even a little kickball for all ages. Last week, we almost lost the ball on the roof of a neighboring building (some dads have strong legs) and had fun playing with kids from ages 5 to 50 or so. We would love to have you join us for some cookies and drinks and some great conversation with friends from church.

Weather permitting, our kids ministry will be outside all summer long. This is for kids ages 3 through going into 3rd grade. We’ll be meeting by the picnic tables to read Bible stories, pray together, do other outdoor crafts/games, and play on our church playground!

The nursery is open again this summer. Nursery is for children ages 0-3. The nursery check-in will be inside at the nursery. Young children are also welcome in the main worship service. Thank you to all those serving in the nursery!

We are reading through the New Testament over the next year as a congregation. The reading schedule for this coming week is below:
Monday: 1 Corinthians 8
Tuesday:1 Corinthians 9
Wednesday: 1 Corinthians 10
Thursday: 1 Corinthians 11
Friday: 1 Corinthians 12

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

Serve the World
Camp Zion starts next week! Earlier this week, Rachel Verbrugge and all the staff were busy preparing for the first day, learning some dances, organizing activities, and praying for the kids. This year, Camp Zion will be held in the mornings Monday through Thursday. We have a great group of kids planning on attending and look forward to another great summer.

As we prepare for another great season of Camp Zion, we have built a little wish list for the summer. If you would like to help purchase some supplies and resources for the summer, you can do so from the list at this link.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/M4D5CKCROXH5?ref_=wl_share

Camp Zion still has some volunteer slots available for the summer, If you would like to help out in the summer and invest in the kids in our neighborhood, you can sign up at the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050949a9a82aa2fd0-camp

We also continue to make preparations to open Threads, a clothing ministry, this fall. Jill Austin and Rick VanderWall were going over details and plans to prepare the basement to host this ministry earlier in the week. If you would like to be involved in any of this preparation work please contact either of them.

If you need help, either with food, personal care items, help grocery shopping, or with financial needs, please contact Jerrod Holzgen, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is Jholzgen@yahoo.com and his phone number is 616-791-7718.

Administration
The Consistory approved remodeling our bathrooms at our April meeting. If you have been in our bathrooms recently you may have noticed they not only look dated, but also have a particularly uncomfortable scent and are in need of some significant repairs. The approved plan will intentionally fit with the larger building remodel plan we approved prior to Covid rather than simply updating the bathrooms. By doing so, we leave open the possibility of moving ahead with the building remodel after Covid and as the financial impacts of this past year become more clear. This small project, however, will cost about $125,000. We will not move forward with this remodeling step until at least half of those funds are raised. If you would like to give to the bathroom remodel, you can do so by donating to our building fund. We do ask that anything given to the building fund be in addition to your regular support of Zion ministries through the general fund so we  can still effectively fund our ongoing ministries.

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 2021/22 Budget:  $11,210.27
Fiscal Year 2021/22 Contributions: $6,553.00
Giving Last Week: $6,553.00
Bathroom Building Fund (total given): $2,405.00

Thank you to everyone who gave money to support the Nepalese Speaking Community Church building project a check for $3,440 was sent earlier this week to them.

This Week’s Announcements

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6-6-21 Announcements

2 Peter 1:1-11 ~ Fervent Faithfulness

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Text: 2 Peter 1:1-11

Preacher: Rev. Greg Brower

Peter seems to suggest that suffering is good. What?! Well, he at least says that there’s a certain kind of suffering that all believers will share: the type of suffering Christ endured. Jesus lived his life bringing the vulnerable, the rejects, and society’s least loved members to the center and lifted them up. He loved so scandalously that when He was put on trial, there was nothing to charge Him with.

Zion E-News (6-3-2021)

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While serving in Colorado, I worked with Rev. Phil Schuiling who quickly became a dear friend and trusted mentor. Growing up in West Michigan, like many people, Phil’s family spent the summer at the cottage on the lake. From June to August, they rarely if ever made it back to their home church on a Sunday morning. He remembers vividly one year coming back in September and hearing someone tease his father about not being in church for the last 3 months. Phil doesn’t remember the specific comment, but does remember the flicker of pain on his father’s face. Phil’s clear lesson from the experience was that when people come back to church after an absence, whether from summers on the lake or a pandemic, all they need to hear is: “We missed you. It’s so good to see you again. How are you doing?”

This Sunday, I expect we will see several people who have not been back at Zion in person in over a year. They may have been attending online. They may have simply been overwhelmed by life and not even had the energy to watch online. They may have struggled with wearing masks and chose to worship somewhere else for  while. Wherever they have been and for whatever reason they were not here, the only thing they need to hear from us is: “We missed you. I’m so glad to see you again. How are you doing?”

It’s been a rough year for many people, we all can use a little grace and compassion in our lives. So, whether this Sunday is your first time back in person  or you have been coming in person for year now, I want you to know: I’m glad you are here.

On a similar note, a friend posted the following comment about engaging people on a Sunday morning. I offer it to you as a good guideline for all of us as we gather each week to prioritize those who may be new or disconnected at Zion.

1. An alone person in our gathering is an emergency.
2. Friends can wait.
3. Introduce a newcomer to someone else.

I am looking forward to worshiping with you on Sunday as we gather outdoors on what should be a beautiful warm summer Sunday. (Unless you will be at the cottage or camping and then, I hope you have a great weekend and look forward to seeing you when you are able to join us again in person.)

Greg

Connect to God
This Sunday we will gather in person at 9:30 am and online at 9:30 and 11 am. The online service will be pre-recorded and abbreviated as we will not be live-streaming our outdoor services over the summer. You can find the services either on our Facebook page or at zionreformed.online.church. We will also rebroadcast a version of the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday.

In Peter’s second letter, he is once again writing to the churches of Asia-Minor, but this time he does so as a final farewell. He knows his life is drawing to a close and so he urges them to both keep growing in the faith and to be on their guard for false teachers, to stay true to Jesus and reject the lies of cheap grace. This Sunday as we begin our study of this letter, we assess our spiritual growth over the past year as Peter urges us to chase holiness with faithful fervor.

We will also be installing and ordaining new Elders and Deacons during worship on Sunday morning. Haley Stone and Ken Johnson will be ordained and installed as Elders and Tom MacGraw will be installed as a Deacon. Troy Austin will be installed at a later date as he is not able to be in worship this Sunday.

Join us this Sunday for a Youth Led Worship event at 6:30 pm. Because it is expected to be close to 90 degrees on Sunday, we will be meeting inside in the air conditioning. Youth will be leading us in worship and in some small group discussions about our experiences over the past year.

Grow in Community
After church this Sunday, we hope you will stay to enjoy some cookies and maybe even a little kickball for all ages. Beverages and food will be in the grassy area by door ‘D’ and the shade tree, while kickball will be out on the grass near the playground. This will not be a serious game, but a chance for people of all ages to simply enjoy being together.

“Summer Sundays” in Zion Kids:  Starting this Sunday, weather permitting, our kids ministry will be moving outside! This is for kids ages 3 through going into 3rd grade. We’ll be meeting by the picnic tables to read Bible stories, pray together, do other outdoor crafts/games, and play on our church playground!

The nursery will be open again next Sunday, June 6th! This is for children ages 0-3. The nursery check-in will be inside at the nursery. Young children are also welcome in the main worship service. Thank you to all those serving in the nursery!

Keeping Kids Safe training will be held on June 6th, after church, outside by door “D”.  This is for adults who will be volunteering in any children’s ministry this summer, who did not already go through training last fall. Take a lawn chair!

We are reading through the New Testament over the next year as a congregation. The reading schedule for this coming week is below:
Monday: 1 Corinthians 3
Tuesday:1 Corinthians 4
Wednesday: 1 Corinthians 5
Thursday: 1 Corinthians 6
Friday: 1 Corinthians 7

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

Serve the World
In the early 1900s, the European church was thriving and leading culture. Today many of the iconic church buildings have been turned into coffee shops, theatres, and skateboard parks. There is a lack of interest in the Christian faith. RCA Global Mission is partnering with various churches and Christian organizations that are determined to re-reach Europe through planting new churches. The Global Missions arm of the RCA is currently in a month of prayer focused on global missions. Recently they shared a video about our church planting efforts in Europe, led by Doug McClintic, whom Zion supports. Daniel Puski, featured in the video, is one of the church planters partnering with Doug and the RCA. You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8-RjIw2z1s

As we prepare for another great season of Camp Zion, we have built a little wish list for the summer. If you would like to help purchase some supplies and resources for the summer, you can do so from the list at this link.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/M4D5CKCROXH5?ref_=wl_share

Camp Zion still has some volunteer slots available for the summer, If you would like to help out in the summer and invest in the kids in our neighborhood, you can sign up at the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050949a9a82aa2fd0-camp

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

Administration
The Consistory approved remodeling our bathrooms at our April meeting. If you have been in our bathrooms recently you may have noticed they not only look dated, but also have a particularly uncomfortable scent and are in need of some significant repairs. The approved plan will intentionally fit with the larger building remodel plan we approved prior to Covid rather than simply updating the bathrooms. By doing so, we leave open the possibility of moving ahead with the building remodel after Covid and as the financial impacts of this past year become more clear. This small project, however, will cost about $125,000. We will not move forward with this remodeling step until at least half of those funds are raised. If you would like to give to the bathroom remodel, you can do so by donating to our building fund. We do ask that anything given to the building fund be in addition to your regular support of Zion ministries through the general fund so we  can still effectively fund our ongoing ministries.

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 2020/21 Budget:  $546,326,56
Fiscal Year 2020/21 Contributions: $521,469.30
Giving Last Week: $7,205.00
Bathroom Building Fund (total given): $2,380.00
Nepalese Speaking Community Church (total given): $3,400.00