Zion E-News 7/27/23
ZION E-NEWS (7-27-23)
I am a HUGE reader. Last year alone I read over one hundred books and this year I have already read over fifty. Last summer when the Zion library was dismantled I repeatedly browsed through all the books and ended up filling a big box to take home.Surprisingly, it hasn’t been the stories I’ve 
enjoyed the most, but the library check-out cards tucked inside. Each book has a card with signatures on it from all of the church members who read the same book. Some are still members, some have moved on to other churches and some have passed away. Those cards are a lovely reminder to me of the people that I formed friendships with inside the lil’ library at Zion. Multiple people from multiple generations united over their love of reading.
During the Camp Zion interview process this year one of our candidates mentioned how she has noticed former teen-staff members talking with adults from our church after Sunday services. She knew that those adults had come to volunteer at camp and thought it was very cool how the teens and adults had formed a connection and were now comfortable carrying on conversations with each other. She was looking forward to broadening her friendship circle to include more adults from our church and hoped that being a camp staff member would help with that. I found it really interesting that she recognized a need for that connection from the older generations of people in our church family.
Psalm 145:4 reads, “Let each generation tell its children of Your mighty acts; let them proclaim Your power.”
Psalm 78:6 reads, “We will not hide them (the stories of old) from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.”This call of older generations to teach the next isn’t limited to our own family units, but is a call to reach out and connect to all generations of people in your life. The younger need to seek out the older, the older need to seek out the younger. Spend time together, listen to one another, share your personal stories, find your common interests, and ultimately share about the things you have learned or the questions you have about the Lord God who loves us all.
~ Rachel Verbrugge
CONNECT TO GOD
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. 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.
ZION KIDS has switched over to our summer programming.Through Sept 3, we will hold one combined class each week for kids ages 3yrs old through 3rd grade. We will sing songs, watch a Bible story video, pray together and have some playtime while service is happening in the sanctuary. Children should check in at the child check in station each week as usual.
GROW IN COMMUNITY
PRAYER REQUEST: Barb Overweg is recovering from the ablation that was done on the right side of her back last Monday. Pray for those in our congregation who have ongoing health issues.
PASTOR STEVE’S last Sunday with us is August 13. Following the worship service we will celebrate him and his service to Zion with ice cream sundaes. We encourage you to write a card or note of thanks and place it in the basket at the back of the sanctuary and we will present them to him on August 13. (Blank cards are available in the back of the sanctuary for your convenience.)
DO YOU like to bake? We are looking for volunteers to make (or purchase) cookies to serve at coffee time after worship. If you would be willing to provide cookies occasionally please call or text Dianne Kooiker at 616-538-3179.
FOR THOSE who signed up for Dunes Harbor camping, an information letter has been placed in your Zion mailbox. Also, a sign up for food has been placed on the bulletin board by the church office. Please take a minute to review it and sign up before the end of July. If you have questions, please contact Rick or Jonell VanderWall.
THREADS CLOTHING MINISTRY is having a huge end of the season sale on Saturday, August 12 from 9am-1pm. All summer clothing, shoes, and accessories (newborn through adult sizes) are priced at $1 each. 100% of the profit from this sale is used to purchase new clothing needs for this ministry. This sale is open to the public. Please help spread the word about the sale and follow us on facebook and instagram (threadsclothingministry) for more information about Threads.
SERVE THE WORLD
HELP STUFF THE BUS! We have partnered with Love Your Neighbor to provide backpacks and supplies for their Stuff The Bus campaign. Tags that show what is needed for each bag will be on a table in the narthex. Please return the bag, supplies, and tag by Sunday, August 13 See Tom MacGraw if you have any questions.
WE ARE collecting toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste through August to meet our goal of providing toothbrushes and toothpaste to all of our Personal Care Pantry, Hand2Hand, and Threads participants in September. Donations can be placed in the Personal Care Pantry box in the narthex. Thank you!
SUMMER is a great time to try out new ways to serve at Zion! It is also the time of year that people who are looking for a church home tend to visit and we want them to feel welcomed! We all know that first impressions are important! Our First Impressions Team is looking for volunteers to make coffee, serve as an usher, greeter, or to help at the child check in station. All of these tasks are very easy, require minimal time commitment and you can pick your own schedule! Click here to sign-up through Sign-Up-Genius or call Connie in the church office at 616-534-7533 ext. 3 and she can help you with scheduling!
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, help grocery shopping, or with financial needs, please contact Tom MacGraw, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is thomas.m.macgraw@gmail.com and his phone number is (616) 315-7938.
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 2023/24 Budget: $92,343.60
Fiscal Year 2023/24 Contributions: $80,374.60
Giving Last Week: $7,817.45
Camp Zion 2023 – Week 6
Hello Camp Zion Families,
Outdoor adventure week was a lot of fun with a variety of activities. I am still giggling about everyones faces during our Survivor Games eating challenges on Thursday. FYI your kids are more than willing to eat their fruits and veggies if it means winning a point for their team. LOL.
During our Bible lesson this week we used the cereal Honey Nut Cheerios.
That little honey bee character on the Honey Nut Cheerios box is super busy buzzing all around. Kind of like we are in our lives when we are flying from one thing to the next; school, sports, time with family, time with friends, appointments etc. We have to be intentional about bee-ing still and taking time to spend with God. Growing our friendship with God requires us spending time with Him. We do this through reading the Bible, talking to God (praying) and learning from others about Him.
________
Looks like next week is going to be a hot one. Here is what’s coming up at camp.
Camp Zion 2023 – Week 6 – Race Week.
Monday: Kick Ball & Pinewood Derby Car Painting.
Tuesday: The Amazing Race.
Wednesday: Fieldtrip – Tarry Hall Rollerskating. Wear socks. You can bring your own roller-skates or roller-blades if you have them, but there will be some provided for everyone at the rink.
Thursday: Pinewood Derby Car Race.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Ms Rachel
ZION E-NEWS 7-20-23
ZION E-NEWS (7-20-23)
Sabbatical Recap
As many of you know, I recently took a two week mini-sabbatical. Pastors often receive a sabbatical after each seven years of service. This is a time for rest, learning, time with family, and personal growth. Sabbaticals are built into the employee handbook at Zion. The challenge I face as a Transition Pastor, is that I serve for about twelve months at a church, therefore, making it impossible to serve for seven consecutive years! When the RCA offered grants this past winter to help support mini-sabbaticals, I was blessed by Zion’s Consistory to receive one week for my year of service. I chose to utilize my week of continuing education in addition to the sabbatical week.
The first week of my sabbatical, my wife Joy and I travelled to the Seattle area. We had just celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary and we enjoyed the opportunity to spend time together and experience rest and renewal. We visited the Pike Place Market, took a ferry to Bainbridge Island, hiked at Olympic National Park, hiked at Mount Rainier National Park, and took a day trip to Port Townsend.
After being home for a couple of days over the 4th of July, I attended a Pastor retreat in Colorado for five days with nine other pastors. A facilitator led a time of teaching/learning in the morning and during the afternoon we went fly fishing on the Arkansas River. I caught a couple of fish, but I won’t be quitting my Transition Pastor role to make a living through fishing! It was great to connect with other pastors, grow from the educational materials around ministry and sabbath, and try something I hadn’t done before (fly fishing). Upon returning home, I met with a friend/coach to process the sabbatical time.
Thank you for your prayers, support and encouragement. I will start my new role two days after I conclude at Zion, so this was a beneficial time of rest and renewal this summer.
One final note unrelated to my sabbatical. My wife and I saw the movie “Sound of Freedom”. It is a challenging movie to watch because of the heart wrenching reality of human trafficking. But it’s an important subject for us to address and pray about. There are more children enslaved in sex trafficking today than in all of history combined. Some studies show that the United States is the largest consumer of sex trafficked children. As Christians, we can’t stand idle. I encourage you to consider seeing this movie and discerning how you can act, give and pray. As the movie reminds us: “God’s children are not for sale.”
In Christ,
~ Pastor Steve
CONNECT TO GOD
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. 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.
ZION KIDS has switched over to our summer programming.Through Sept 3, we will hold one combined class each week for kids ages 3yrs old through 3rd grade. We will sing songs, watch a Bible story video, pray together and have some playtime while service is happening in the sanctuary. Children should check in at the child check in station each week as usual.
GROW IN COMMUNITY
PRAYER REQUEST:Barb Overweg will have an ablation on the right side of her back on Monday, July 24 and, if all goes as planned, they will do the left side in two weeks. Pray for those in our congregation who have ongoing health issues.
PASTOR STEVE’S last Sunday with us is August 13. Following the worship service we will celebrate him and his service to Zion with ice cream sundaes. We encourage you to write a card or note of thanks and place it in the basket at the back of the sanctuary and we will present them to him on August 13. (Blank cards are available in the back of the sanctuary for your convenience.)
DO YOU like to bake? We are looking for volunteers to make (or purchase) cookies to serve at coffee time after worship. If you would be willing to provide cookies occasionally please call or text Dianne Kooiker at 616-538-3179.
FOR THOSE who signed up for Dunes Harbor camping, an information letter has been placed in your Zion mailbox. Also, a sign up for food has been placed on the bulletin board by the church office. Please take a minute to review it and sign up before the end of July. If you have questions, please contact Rick or Jonell VanderWall.
SERVE THE WORLD
WE ARE collecting toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste through August to meet our goal of providing toothbrushes and toothpaste to all of our Personal Care Pantry, Hand2Hand, and Threads participants in September. Donations can be placed in the Personal Care Pantry box in the narthex. Thank you!
HAND2HAND is looking for volunteers to deliver food to Grandview Elementary School. Delivery would be every Wednesday or Thursday between 3:30-4:00PM beginning in the fall and continue weekly during the regular school year schedule. Food is packed in totes so volunteers would need to be able to lift the totes which can weigh up to 40lbs. Contact Sheila Johnson or Shawn Sanders if you have more questions or would like to help.
CAMP ZION is still in need of snack donations. The sign-up sheet is on the Camp Zion bulletin board by the church office.
SUMMER is a great time to try out new ways to serve at Zion! It is also the time of year that people who are looking for a church home tend to visit and we want them to feel welcomed! We all know that first impressions are important! Our First Impressions Team is looking for volunteers to make coffee, serve as an usher, greeter, or to help at the child check in station. All of these tasks are very easy, require minimal time commitment and you can pick your own schedule! Click here to sign-up through Sign-Up-Genius or call Connie in the church office at 616-534-7533 ext. 3 and she can help you with scheduling!
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, help grocery shopping, or with financial needs, please contact Tom MacGraw, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is thomas.m.macgraw@gmail.com and his phone number is (616) 315-7938.
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 2023/24 Budget: $80,800.65
Fiscal Year 2023/24 Contributions: $72,557.15
Giving Last Week: $8,272.45
Camp Zion 2023 – Week 5
Hello Camp Zion Families,
Bird week was full of bird themed activities, my favorite being the Angry Birds game that our Teen Staff planned on Yes Day! It was great to hear our kids cheering together for those who knocked down all the pigs, and groaning in unison for those that missed.
Our Bible lessons this week used the cereals Lucky Charms & Trix.
- Lucky Charms is a fun sweet cereal that points out the silly superstitions that we think may bring us good luck in our lives. God has a plan and purpose for each of us, and we can depend on the fact that he is using all circumstances (both good and bad) in our lives to help shape us into he people he wants us to be. No 4 leaf clover, rabbits foot or upside down horseshoe will change what God has planned.
- Trix cereal surprisingly does not contain 5 individual fruity flavors. It is actually 5 colors of cereal that all taste the same; a blend of a bunch of yummy fruit flavors. When we invite Jesus into our hearts he gives each of us all of the Fruits of the Spirit; Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, & self-control. The we use the Fruits of the Spirit they will help us to show Gods goodness to others. Oh and by the way neither Trix or the Fruits of the Spirit are just for kids. 🙂
Here is what is coming up next week.
Camp Zion 2023 – Week 5 – Outdoor Adventure Week.
Monday: Field Day
Tuesday: Putt-Putt Golf.
Wednesday: Sudz Party. Wear swimsuits & bring towels.
Thursday: Survivor Game Show
I hope you all have a great weekend.
See you on Monday,
Rachel
Camp Zion 2023 – Week 4 – Bird Week.
Hello Camp Zion Families,
Phew! Last week was a hot one, but we still had fun getting outdoors and enjoying all of our garden themed activities. Thank you so much to our parent volunteers who came on Wednesday to help chaperone our fieldtrip to Fredrick Meijer Gardens.
For our Bible object lessons last week we used a box of Rice Krispies Cereal. Rice Krispies is a loud talkative cereal and remind us that we should be snap, crackle & popping with excitement to be talking to others about the love of Jesus.
Here is what is coming up next week.
Camp Zion 2023 – Week 4 (July 10-13) – Bird Week.
Mon: Service project & slip-n-slide. Wear your swimsuit and bring a towel.
Tues: Creation Station.
Wed: Teen Staff, Yes Day!
Thur: Critter Barn.
Enjoy the west of your weekend,
Ms. Rachel
