Zion E-News 9-19-22

ZION E-NEWS (9-19-24)

AS WE 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.

FOR THE next couple of months, there will be road construction on 36th Street between Kenowa and Canal. While you can drive on 36th currently, the driveways into Zion are affected. Please plan to enter the parking lot from the north side, off Fair Meadow.

YOU MAY have noticed over the summer a few different configurations of chairs in the sanctuary. We recognize people have different needs and preferences, and we are working towards a more hospitable space for all. Thanks for helping us make Zion a welcoming place!

PRAYER REQUEST: Merle Ezinga has been moved to Corewell Rehab Center. Please pray for those in our congregation who deal with ongoing health issues.
Please join us in lifting up the VanderZouwen family in prayer, as Cornie entered his heavenly home last evening, September 18th. The family will be holding a private graveside service sometime next week. A celebration of life service to honor both Cornie and Thelma VanderZouwen will be held sometime in October. We will share details at a later date. Cornie was the last of Zion’s charter confessing members from the beginning of our church in 1954. We give thanks to God for that incredible generation of faithful believers who planted this church and gave so much of their lives to help it grow.”

CHURCH-WIDE BIBLE MEMORY: Led by our children, who regularly memorize Scripture for “Say It” days, we will be working together on a church-wide Bible memory challenge this fall. Our text is Philippians 2:1-4 from the New International Version: “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: We are looking for more people willing to serve on the First Impressions Team – particularly in the area of Ushers and Welcome Table.  Contact Angie at awalker@zionreformed.org if you would like to know more or are interested in serving.

THIS FALL, Zion will kick off a church-wide learning opportunity for all ages. We will be hosting a Serving with Dignity class on Sunday afternoons from 4-5:30 PM, with dinner available to follow. The class will be taught by facilitators from Love Your Neighbor. It is a chance to not only learn how we might serve others with dignity in our ministries at Zion, but also how we might be a better neighbor, friend or coworker in our everyday lives. Pastor Marcia, Pastor Jeremy and Angie have been attending the classes this summer in preparation for the fall, and the material is excellent. This course will challenge every one of us to grow in our own personal discipleship. We truly want everyone to be involved – from the youngest to the oldest. There will be age-appropriate learning and activities for kids. Classes will be held Oct 6, 13, 20 and Nov 3, 10 and 17. You can register for the Serve with Dignity Class here. The deadline to register for the class is Wednesday, September 25. 

MORNING OF SERVICE: As part of our intergenerational learning opportunity on Serving with Dignity this fall, we will be hosting a church-wide Morning of Service on Sunday, October 27th. We will begin in the sanctuary at our normal service time of 9:30 AM, and will open our time together with a song, meditation, and prayer. We will then spend the rest of the morning serving together!  EVERYONE is welcome to join us for the Morning of Service, even if you are not signed up for the Serving with Dignity class. We will have options available for all ages and abilities. You can register here for the Morning Of Service. And for those who sign up, you will receive a new Zion t-shirt to wear that day!

REMINDER: This Saturday, September 21 is the Women’s Event! You can still RSVP for this event by clicking here  

ZION’S YOUTH GROUP meets weekly at the following times:
4:00-5:30 pm – High School (9th-12th grade)
5:45-7:15 pm – Middle School (6th-12th grade)
For youth group meetings on Sundays, please enter through door “D” in the back of church, next to the youth room/chapel.
We need everyone to fill out new Release/Registration Forms. You can do that online here or visit the Youth Group page on Zion’s Website for a link.

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).

IF YOU need help, either with food, personal care items, or financial needs, please contact Austen DeHaan, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is austin331@gmail.com and his phone number is (269) 762-9748

WE CONTINUE to thank God for his provision of all of our needs and the generous support of our congregation with their time, talent, and resources.

2024/25 YTD Budget:  $184,289.44
2024/25 YTD Contributions:  $138,959.68
Giving Last Week:  $7,487.73