12-1-22 E-News

Zion E-News (12-1-2022)
If you were at Zion this past Sunday or watched online, you noticed the decorations, sang Christmas songs and saw the lighting of the first Advent wreath candle.  Advent is here! The season of Advent encompasses the four Sundays and weeks leading up to Christmas.   The Advent season is a time to prepare our hearts and minds for celebrating the birth of Jesus.  It’s also a reminder that we look forward to and must be ready for the second coming of Jesus.

Each year during Advent we light candles in worship to mark the progression  toward the birth of Christ. Each week during Advent a new candle is lit until all the candles burn on Christmas Eve.  The Advent wreath’s circular shape symbolizes God’s constant and unchanging nature. On Christmas Eve, the center Christ candle is lit to symbolize that Christ, the light of the world, has arrived.

When I was a kid, we would make green and red paper chains at school and tear off a link each day. Some people cross of the days on a calendar to count down the days until Christmas. Now, you can purchase an array of Advent calendars with a variety of items such as chocolate candy, Legos or coffee.  Each approach can help us focus on the countdown to celebrating Christ’s birth.

As we wait, may our priorities and focus be on the amazing gift of Jesus and the promise of his second coming.  In a season that can be busy, distracting and stressful – how will you prepare your heart and ponder the gift of a Savior?

~ Pastor Steve

Connect to God

AS GATHER in person for Worship each Sunday at 9:30am the service can also be viewed on our website 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 10:30AM on Sunday. The service will continue to be available on YouTube to watch at your convenience.

CHRISTMAS EVE Candlelight Service: Join us at 6:30PM on Christmas Eve for a Candlelight Service to celebrate the birth of our Savior. (Note: We will not have a service on Sunday morning, December 25.)

ADVENT DEVOTIONAL: Words Of Hope has made available a Advent Devotional for the month of December. The Waiting With Joy Advent Calendar comes as two versions: an adult devotional and a young families devotional! Along with the daily devotional, there are craft ideas, daily activities, countdown cards, and a calendar. All materials are available to download and print at https://www.woh.org/adventcalendar/ Children in Sunday School will come home with a hard copy of the young families booklet today. There are hard copies of the adult devotions available on the tables in the back of the narthex for those without internet access.

Grow in Community
Exploring Membership Seminar: Are you interested in learning more about membership at Zion Reformed Church?  We are gauging interest and hope to offer a seminar after worship in January for those who would like to learn about Zion Reformed, profession of faith, transfer of membership to Zion, or reaffirmation of faith.  If you are interested in learning more, please contact Connie in the church office at cstegeman@zionreformed.org so we can follow up with the date and details.

PRAYER REQUESTS: Continue to pray for those in our congregation who are dealing with ongoing health problems.

WE EXPRESS our sympathy to Bob Barr and Mark and Kim Steenbergen in the passing of their wife/mother, Harriet Baar. Harriet went to be with her Lord on Monday, November 28. A Memorial Service will be held at Zion on Thursday, December 8 at 7PM with visitation from 5-7PM also at Zion. Please pray for peace and comfort for them and their family during this difficult time.

ZION WOMEN: If you’re interested in getting to know other women at church or simply reconnecting after 2 years of limited activities, join us for a fun night of games and food on December 14 at 6PM! Nancy Steenbergen will be bringing back a classic by leading us in Bunco (an easy group dice rolling game). Don’t know how to play? No problem we will teach you! To RSVP, sign up  on  the sheet  outside  the office  or  text Haley Stone  at (616) 916-6698 by December 10th. Please bring an appetizer to share! Can’t wait!

DURING THIS Christmas season we want to bless and encourage those from Zion who are not able to join us in person for worship. We encourage you to write Christmas Cards to the individuals listed below and place them in the basket labeled Christmas Cards located in the back of the sanctuary.  Cards must be received by December 11 so that we can get them delivered.

Harv & Harriet Berens
Betty DeVries
Cornie VanderZouwen
Gary Osterink
Kay Sikkema
Bob Retsema
Margaret Goodman
Erma VanHaitsma
Margy Ribbens
Willis Kuiper
Roger Beute

CHRISTMAS CAROLING: December 11 at 3:30 pm (until around 5:30 or 6:00 pm) we are going Christmas Caroling. All ages are invited. In fact, one of the purposes of this activity is to connect multi-generationally. We will be caroling at the homes of some Zion members who are physically unable attend in person worship and then returning to Zion for Hot Chocolate and cookies.

ZION KIDS: All kids birth through 5th grade must be signed in at the Zion Kids Check-In Kiosk located in the lobby before the service.  All Zion Kids must be picked up by a parent (please bring the corresponding tag to pick up your child) following worship. The nursery will be staffed for kids birth – 3 yrs. Preschoolers meet in room 206. K-2nd graders meet in room 205. 3rd – 5th graders meet in room 207. 

ZION KIDS: Christmas program practice will be held on 12/4. Kids will meet in room 205 for 30 minutes following the worship service. A dress rehearsal will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10. 9:00am-10:30am and the program will be on Sunday, December 11 at 9:30am.

CHRISTMAS CARD DELIVERY SERVICE: The Middle School Youth are offering a holiday card delivery service! Now through Christmas Eve, you can place your cards in the big post office box in the narthex and the youth will sort them and place them in the appropriate church mailbox. In exchange for this service, we ask that you make a donation to the Jr. High Youth to help support their summer mission trip. There is a jar on top of the post office box that you can place your donation in. Thank You!

Serve the World
THANK YOU to all who contributed to our Thanksgiving Collection! We collected 104 toothbrushes, 98 tubes of toothpaste, 47 Cookie Mixes, and 43 Frostings. Thanks for generosity and for making someone else’s Christmas a little bit brighter!

DONATIONS of the following items (full size – not travel size) are needed for the Personal Care Pantry and can be placed in the box in the narthex marked “pantry donations”.  Laundry Soap,    Bar Soap,    Dish Soap,        Disposable Razors,  Shampoo,    Conditioner,  Toothpaste,     Paper Grocery Bags,,  Deodorant,   Tampons,   Maxi Pads ,  Paper towels (1 or 2 pack)  and   Toilet paper (1-4 pack).

HAND2HAND could use donations of the following food:  Snack Pack / Jello pudding cups, bags of cracker or snack cracker packs,rice krispie treats (prepackaged), granola bars, slim jim beef snack sticks, fruit snacks, and microwave popcorn. 

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
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 2022/23 Budget:  $266,790.42
Fiscal Year 2022/23 Contributions: $235,730.01
Giving Last Week: $10,264.95
Thanksgiving Offering $8,479.95