Zion E-News (4-28-2022)
Earlier this week, I was talking with a friend about devotions and he commented that he needs devotions pushed to him. Life is busy. He has good intentions, but he is much more likely to read scripture and prayer if a devotional or scripture passage is sent to his phone that if he just gets a reminder. We all need cues and habits that make doing what we want to do easier.
About an hour later, I received an e-mail from the RCA about a 30 devotional leading up to our annual denominational meeting this summer. Over 30 days, the devotionals will lead you to think about 10 different aspects of a missionary shaped life, church, and denomination. The 10 aspects include things like the centrality of scripture, sharing our faith, compelling Christian community, heartfelt worship, and generous living among others.
If you are looking for a devotional, you can sign up for the daily e-mails at this link: https://www.rca.org/synod/
– Greg
Connect to God
This week we will gather for worship at 9:30 am. This weeks service will be at zionreformed.online.church and streaming on our YouTube channel. We will also rebroadcast a version of the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday. The service will continue to be available on YouTube to watch at your convenience.
During the Easter season, we will be considering questions Christians often avoid that many young people as well as people wondering about Christianity frequently want to ask. Some of these topics may be uncomfortable for us as believers as young people often see through the masks and inconsistencies of our lives, but I hope in considering these questions we can humble acknowledge our own weaknesses and point each other to the glory and beauty four God. This week, we consider the painful reality of hypocrisy among our Christians leaders and our own lives.
This Sunday, we will also be celebrating Communion, also called The Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist. It 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
The Middle and High School end of year parties are this Sunday from noon until 3:30-3:45. They will be going to Craig’s Cruisers. Cost is $20/person and there is more information about forms to complete at here.
We had a great youth led worship night this Sunday. We are so grateful for the many gifts of our youth and the intentionality of our community to both welcome, support, and develop the gifts of these youth. You can see some pictures from the night below.
A huge thank you to Adam Morehouse, Tom MacGraw, and Pastor Rick who installed new LED lights in some of our staff offices one night this week. This is part of an ongoing project to update our lighting and reduce ongoing expenses funded by the generous anonymous donation of a member.
Our nursery is filling up again! Praise God for the gift of these children. And, we need your help. Would you be willing to support young families so parents can attend the worship service, and provide great care for our young children? The time commitment is once every 4 weeks during the school year, and a couple of times over the summer. If you’re interested, please contact Rachel Brower at 616-669-3412.
Our youth are looking for Shareholders for our 2022 Alaska Mission Trip. Becoming a shareholder means that you will donate $40 or more to help offset the costs of the trip. As a shareholder, you will be matched up with one student and commit to praying for them before the trip, during the trip, and after the trip. There are all sorts of benefits for shareholders like: a meal with your student after the trip, an update from the student during the trip, a copy of their pre-trip devotionals, the knowledge you played a role in a student’s spiritual growth and so much more.
Serve the World
As the school year is beginning to wind down, our first full year of partnering with Bursley Elementary and Kids Hope is also coming to a close. Mentors will be having their final meeting with their students the week of May 16. Though we cannot share stories from Kids Hope due to the need for confidentiality, I frequently hear update from mentors of important conversations, stories of hurt and hope, and the love mentors have for their students. Thank you to all of our mentors for this year! If you would like to know more about Kids Hope or even get involved next school year, please contact Olivia DeHaan at 616-914-4467.
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 616-520-1771.
Administration
This Sunday is our annual congregational meeting. We will be meeting following worship in the sanctuary. At this meeting, we approve our budget for next year and affirm the slate of Elder and Deacon nominees presented but he Consistory. Copies of the budget are available in the lobby for those who are interested in reviewing it prior to the congregational meeting.
As you may recall, after using a single slate of nominees last spring, the Consistory decided to do so again this year following one of the two methods for choosing Consistory members described in our denomination’s Book of Church Order. As prescribed in the Book of Church Order, the congregation will nominate people for the offices of Elder and Deacon. Using these nominations as a significant guide, the Consistory will choose the 2 Elders and 2 Deacons to stand on this single slate. The two Elders nominees this year are Tim Mekkes and Eric Zondervan. The two deacon nominees are Ashley Gross and Ashley VanderWall. These nominees will be affirmed at the Congregational meeting by vote of the congregation.
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: $526,882.69
Fiscal Year 2021/22 Contributions: $491,100.56
Giving Last Week: $7,951.93
Youth Group Year End Party
This Sunday we will be doing a middle school/high school youth group year end party at Craig’s Cruisers (Grand Rapids), meeting at church at 12 pm and returning around 3:30-3:45 pm.
Each participant (youth and youth leaders) will need to fill out an online waiver before going.
Please do that right away and forward me your confirmation email. I can then print out the confirmation and save us time checking in when we arrive through scanning the barcode on the waiver.
Cost will be $20 for youth. The church budget will cover the remaining cost. Please pay a youth leader when you arrive. You may also choose to use account money if you have any left or you could Venmo me and I’ll pull the cash from my bank account to pay church later.
Venmo: @Jeremy-Zoet
We will have access to the 3 hour food and fun wristbands which include all attractions, jump time, and the 3 hour buffet (so come hungry!). If your child would like to do arcade stuff, they will need to bring their own additional money and take care of that themselves.
2 Timothy 3:10-17 ~ Questions Christians Avoid (Week 1)
During the Easter season, we will be considering questions Christians often avoid that many young people as well as people wondering about Christianity frequently want to ask. Some of these topics may be uncomfortable for us as believers as young people often see through the masks and inconsistencies of our lives, but I hope in considering these questions we can humble acknowledge our own weaknesses and point each other to the glory and beauty four God. This week, we consider a less emotionally fraught question, but one that influences so much of how we live as believers: what do we mean when we say the Bible is the inspired word of God? To guide us in these refections, we will be considering 2 Timothy 3:10-17.
Preacher: Rev. Greg Brower
The sermon begins at: 37:47
Zion E-News (4-21-2022)
As I was a leaving the house one morning, one of our kids, with a little grin, said, “Dad, if the United States is a free country, why are there so many laws?” I quipped back, “If the US is a free country, why is everything so expensive?”
It was a silly conversation, but it got me thinking about freedom, especially our freedom in Christ. This freedom, too, is costly and comes with some rules. Laws and rules serve a vital function in society and in our personal lives. They set the boundaries for acceptable behavior and help us set reasonable expectations for the behavior of other people. God gives us basic rules in the 10 Commandments that set the boundaries for how Christians should live. Worship only God. Speak and live in such a way that we bring honor to God’s name. Don’t use our voices to slander or lie about others. Don’t take what doesn’t belong to us. And so on. But God also gives all sorts of other guidance that flesh out these laws or provide values to guide how we live within these boundaries.
For example, it is wrong to murder, but we are also called to love our enemies. Beyond simply not killing people. There is lots of room to figure out how to best love our enemies. We cannot steal, but we are also called to care for the poor. Beyond simply not taking what doesn’t belong to us, there is lots of room to figure out how to best care for and bless those with less than us. It is wrong to commit adultery, but we are also called to honor the image of God in other people. Beyond simply not objectifying people, what does it look like to treat those of the opposite gender with dignity because they reflect God as his image bearer.
It is fairy easy to live within the letter of the boundaries, but much hard to actively try to love our neighbors, welcome the foreigners among us, pray for those who persecute us, seek first God’s kingdom, and pick up our cross and follow Jesus.
Jesus has set us free, but it is a freedom from sin and a slavery to righteousness (Romans 6:18). And of course, this freedom from sin is costly. Just not to us. God made Christ who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God ( 2 Corinthians 5:21). I do not know how to fully explain how Jesus became sin, but I know what it costs. It costs the cross.
Our freedom in Christ is such an amazing costly gift, may we use this freedom to live for Christ and his glory.
– Greg
Connect to God
This week we will gather for worship at 9:30 am. This weeks service will be at zionreformed.online.church and streaming on our YouTube channel. We will also rebroadcast a version of the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday. The service will continue to be available on YouTube to watch at your convenience.
During the Easter season, we will be considering questions Christians often avoid that many young people as well as people wondering about Christianity frequently want to ask. Some of these topics may be uncomfortable for us as believers as young people often see through the masks and inconsistencies of our lives, but I hope in considering these questions we can humble acknowledge our own weaknesses and point each other to the glory and beauty four God. This week, we consider a less emotionally fraught question, but one that influences so much of how we live as believers: what do we mean when we say the Bible is the inspired word of God? To guide us in these refections, we will be considering 2 Timothy 3:10-17.
This Sunday we celebrate with Tom and Megan MacGraw the baptism of their daughter Ryleigh Mae. As they celebrate her life, we give thanks to God for the gift of new life he has made available to all who believe. We thank God as well for the covenant he has established all the way back with Abraham to include children in his family. We honor this faithful God as we welcome Ryleigh Mae into the covenant community at Zion.
Grow in Community
Larry Westra has left the hospital and is continuing his recovery from back surgery at home.
Three weeks ago Don Osterink found out his prostate cancer more than likely has spread. He had a PET scan Tuesday, April 19 and will be meeting with doctors Monday, April 25th to determine the next course of action. Please pray for Don and Marcia and their family during this time of waiting and for positive results from the PET scan.
Congratulations to Kyle and Shanda VandePol on the birth of their son Pierce Calvin. Pierce was born today at 2:54 PM this afternoon. He weighs 7 lbs 9 oz and is 21 inches long. Both mom and baby are doing well. Please join the VandePol’s in a prayer of praise and thanks to God for this precious gift.
Our nursery is filling up again! Praise God for the gift of these children. And, we need your help. Would you be willing to support young families so parents can attend the worship service, and provide great care for our young children? The time commitment is once every 4 weeks during the school year, and a couple of times over the summer. If you’re interested, please contact Rachel Brower at 616-669-3412.
Thanks to everyone who helped our youth group reach the $15,000 goal for the Alaska Mission Trip! Because of your generosity, we will be hosting a Youth-Led Worship Night this Sunday, April 24 at 5:30 pm. Mark your calendars and come support our youth while enjoying an extended time of worshipping our faithful God together!
Our youth are looking for Shareholders for our 2022 Alaska Mission Trip. Becoming a shareholder means that you will donate $40 or more to help offset the costs of the trip. As a shareholder, you will be matched up with one student and commit to praying for them before the trip, during the trip, and after the trip. There are all sorts of benefits for shareholders like: a meal with your student after the trip, an update from the student during the trip, a copy of their pre-trip devotionals, the knowledge you played a role in a student’s spiritual growth and so much more.
Serve the World
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 616-520-1771.
Administration
Last Tuesday, the Consistory met for our regular monthly meeting, In addition to our regular business of reviewing progress toward the goals set for our staff, receiving updates on our church plant, and an update on the latest Classis meeting, we also approved a proposed budget for our next fiscal year and the slate of Elders and Deacons to be affirmed by our congregation at our congregational meeting following worship on May 1. Copies of the budget will be made available in the lobby for those who are interested in reviewing it prior to the congregational meeting.
As you may recall, after using a single slate of nominees last spring, the Consistory decided to do so again this year following one of the two methods for choosing Consistory members described in our denomination’s Book of Church Order. As prescribed in the Book of Church Order, the congregation will nominate people for the offices of Elder and Deacon. Using these nominations as a significant guide, the Consistory will choose the 2 Elders and 2 Deacons to stand on this single slate. The two Elders nominees this year are Tim Mekkes and Eric Zondervan. The two deacon nominees are Ashley Gross and Ashley VanderWall. These nominees will be affirmed at the Congregational meeting by vote of the congregation.
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: $515,672.42
Fiscal Year 2021/22 Contributions: $483,148.63
Giving Last Week: $7,008.13
Luke 24:1-12 ~ An Easter Reality Check
The deepest love poured out of the greatest sacrifice in history. A love that heals. A love that forgives. A love that welcomes. This Easter we celebrate the reality of Christ’s resurrection!
Preacher: Rev. Greg Brower
The sermon begins at: 45:15
