Dear Congregation,

Your Consistory met last night to discuss how to respond to the latest orders from the MDHHS. Just as schools have been adjusting to these guidelines for the next three weeks, we are thinking through how we can both follow these guidelines and continue to worship our God, care for one another, and love our community well.

After considering recommendations from our staff, we decided to cancel all youth and children’s programming and to hold worship only online for the next 3 weeks. Further, we will not be allowing any use of our building by members or outside groups for special events during the next three weeks. We will continue to use the building for both Hand2Hand and the Personal Care Pantry.

I know this is sad news for many of us. It is for those of us on Consistory, too. We want to be clear that we are choosing to meet online because we think this is the best way to love our neighbors during this time. We want to do our part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 so that:

1. The doctors and nurses and all who work in our healthcare system will not be overwhelmed and will be able to care well for those who are sick.

2. Students can go to school in person because we know the strain virtual learning puts on families, students and teachers.

3. Nursing homes and assisted living centers allow visitors because we know the pain and suffering cause by the isolation experienced by many of the older people in our community.

I know this may feel like discouraging news to many in our congregation. Honestly, it is discouraging to me, too. And, we also know there is light at the end of this tunnel. Two possible effective vaccines appear to be on the way. But even more importantly, our God is with us. I woke up early this morning with the old hymn “His Eye is on the Sparrow” running through my head. It is a beautiful hymn that speaks of the presence of our God in times of suffering, depression, and loneliness. Even then, it reminds us, our God is still with us and he watches over us.

God is watching over you today. He is watching over Zion. He watches over our community and our country. We can trust in his care. He will carry us through.

– Greg

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Lately, it feels like I am always just a few weeks behind the calendar mentally. It may be because our church education year started later due to Covid or because everything routine is just a little different then before Covid. Or maybe, time just slips by faster because I am getting older. Whatever the cause, Thanksgiving is drawing near and I had not give it any real thought.

But this week, our family has been starting to put some plans in place to celebrate the holiday with Rachel’s family. Her family is scattered around the midwest and so this is the year we usually celebrate Thanksmas (Christmas and Thanksgiving all on there same weekend). However, because we live far apart, none of us are in each others “Covid bubbles.” As cases have been rising rapidly the past couple of weeks, we are now trying to figure out how we can be together safely. (One family member works for a hospital and spends all day telling people to not gather in large groups, so even meeting at all is up in the air.) We have talked about renting an outdoor heater and simply meeting for pie in a garage, rotating who spends time with Rachel’s parents to limit the group size, or maybe even not meeting at all. No matter how we choose to celebrate, one thing is clear, it will not be a normal Thanksmas holiday.

And then, yesterday, I retreat I was helping lead with a friend at a local church was postponed due to the rising covid cases. I had been really looking forward to this weekend. We were going to help the leaders of this church dream about their future, imagine where God might be calling them, and it would have been with Pastor Rick’s son Jon VanderWall. And I really like spending time with Jon. I am feeling the losses of Covid again. It is hard when those events and moment we look forward to have to be changed.

We all have losses to grieve. Some much much bigger than changed holiday plans. I have moments when I want to ignore Covid and the guidance from health professionals and pretend it is no big deal so that we can all avoid the grief of not being together.

But then I remember the medical professionals in our church. I think of Ken Johnson in my office on a Sunday between services holding a meeting to figure out how to care for all the Covid patients at Spectrum. Or, Jacki Knott coming home from a shift in the ICU and needing to take a shower before she can even give her kids a hug. Amy Mott almost completing isolating since March so she can be healthy enough to care for her patients. Not to mention the overworked and just plain tired nurses. When I remember all of them, all those cancelled plans and  simply wearing a mask, washing our hands, and keeping our distance don’t seem like such a big deal.

It has been a hard year for many people. Finances are stretched for some due to lost jobs. Parenting is harder with kids being online or quarantined. Others worry for their health. Some are overworked and others wish they could find a job. Marriages are strained. But we are going to get through this. Maybe the light at the end of our tunnel will be the vaccines in the news this week. Maybe it will be something else. But, we will get through this. We will make it to the other side.

As we are temporarily cancelling our 11 am service, I have received several encouraging e-mails from our congregation. I want first to thank you for the ways you have been spoken so supportive of both our staff and the church during these months. And, secondly, to let you know how much you and the community of Zion means to us as well. There remains no better place to serve than right here at Zion.

If you are struggling, hit rough patch in life, or just need someone to listen, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here for each other. That’s what t means to be church.

– Greg

Connect to God
This Sunday we will gather indoors at 9am. You can sign-up to worship using the link below or on the front-page of our website beginning on Monday mornings. Following is the link to sign-up for worship this Sunday:
9 am service: https://zionreformed.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/623353

If you are not able to join us in person or would simply prefer to not gather in a large crowd yet, you can still join us for online worship. We will be live streaming both our 9 and 11 am services at zionreformed.online.church and Zion’s Facebook Page. We will also rebroadcast the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday.

In Ephesians 2, Paul says that Jesus has broken down the dividing wall that separated people from God and Jews from Gentiles. Over the next three weeks, we will be thinking about what it means for us today that Jesus has broken down the dividing wall between the races. How do we live out this core gospel truth in a culture of racial tensions and a history of racial oppression? Join us as we consider the importance of lament, confession, and repentance in healing the racial divide in our churches and communities.

When we gather for worship on November 22, we plan to celebrate communion together. In light of this celebration, the elders urge you to take the next week to examine your life. Where you see sin, take ht time to repent and where possible make amends to those you have hurt. If you have been hurt by someone, do the hard work to forgive or maybe even begin to forgive. may we all do the work to reconcile with one another so that we can come to the table as the truly united body of Christ.

Our Thanksgiving worship service this year will be held on Wednesday, November 25 at 6:30 pm. Please note this time change from our traditional Thursday morning service. The service will be live streams at 6:30 at zionreformed.online.church.

Grow in Community
Oliver Aernouts had his appendix removed earlier this week and is currently at home recovering and doing well. He hopes to return to school early next week.

Beginning in Advent, we will be reading through the New Testament as a church over the next year. In addition, we will also have some sermon series tied to the readings throughout the year. And, we are encouraging everyone to use the Through the Word app on Apple or Android devices. This app not only has the scripture readings, but also a 9-10 minute teaching on the passage of the day, This could be a great way for our Discipleship Triads to study together or for a small group or family to do devotions together. If you are unsure how to install the app, we have made a short instructional video to show you how to do so on an iPhone. You can find that video here.

Beginning in January, Sheila Johnson will be leading a book discussion on the book The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tesby. If you are interested in thinking together about racial divisions in our culture and the role of the church, this would be a great place to be a part of that conversation. If you are interested in this book discussion, please contact Sheila at sheilaj2494@yahoo.com.

Meeting as a small group poses some particular challenges during this time of Covid. Between health concerns, deciding if you want a babysitter in your house, or if you even want to meet with several other families in person leave many unsure what to do. Let me offer a couple of suggestions. Some small groups have chosen to meet at church in one of our large education rooms. You can socially distance and still be in physically together. Or, if your group is doing a video study with RightNow Media you can now simul-stream (is that a word) to your whole group. The interface looks a lot like a zoom call with the video in the center of the screen and little videos of all the participants on the side. It is a great way to still study scripture, talk about life, and be sort of together when being all crammed in a small space isn’t an option. If you want to check out our RightNow Media and need to sign-up you can do so here.

Serve the World
Thank you for donating your cans to support Matthew Radcliff in his effort to raise money for Hand2Hand. He raised a total of $213.00 to help feed kids who, without this program, would go hungry. Great idea and great job Matthew!

Our Thanksgiving offering this year will be used to support:
1. The Wyoming Family Network
2. The Pregnancy Resource Center
3. Jibit Aisha
Donations can be made through our offering boxes at church (make sure they are clearly labeled for the Thanksgiving offering) or online at our website. At the website, you can choose to donate to the general fund or to our thanksgiving offering.

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

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. We are especially grateful this week for all those who have adjusted their means of giving to give online, through the mail, and via text.

Fiscal Year to Date Budget: $241,644.44
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $201,080.41
Giving Last Week: $5,529.84

As I write, it is early Wednesday morning, The news and social media have been and I imagine will remain filled with speculation about the election. As am I writing, we do not yet know who the next president will be, though most signs point to President Trump remaining in office. Some of us are probably happy with that outcome. Others are sad. And, some are just glad this election season will soon be over.

Personally, I found election day itself to be heartwarming. I love seeing Americans of all sorts go to the polls and have their voices be heard. I love the “I voted” stickers and “I voted” social media posts. I just love the idea that we get to choose our leaders every few years. It is a right many throughout history never had the opportunity to enjoy. It makes me happy seeing people vote.

I am also concerned. Not about who may or may not be in office. As I said Sunday, no matter who wins, God is still in control and I will trust God to watch over us all no matter the outcome. I am concerned because of the coarse, angry, fear based rhetoric that seems to be increasing in our society and among believers. We cannot be a healthy functioning society when we view those who disagree with us as enemies and traitors rather than as the “loyal opposition” as the British put it. We need to learn to think, speak, and act in healthier ways in our public discourse. If you have time, Mitch Albom wrote a piece for the Detroit Free Press on this issue and it captures my concerns better than I have been able to put them into words. You can read it here.

I am hopeful. Not because of the election, because elections are not as important as our world tries to make them to be. As citizens of heaven, our first loyalty, love, and confidence was found in God on Monday and it is still found there today. The outcome of the election has little bearing on God’s kingdom. If God can work through his church when Caesar sat on a throne, he can work through his church today no matter who sits behind the Resolute Desk.

I am hopeful because of an e-mail I received on Monday morning from Yakuv Gurung with Jibit Aisha. As you may recall, we partner with Jibit Aisha to plant indigenous churches in Nepal. Two weeks ago now, they held a training event for their Timothys. (A Timothy for Jibit Aisha is an apprentice church planter.) For three days they learned about evangelism, prayer, spiritual warfare and more. And then, on October 21, these 72 Timothys were sent back out into Nepal to their home villages to share the gospel, start Christian home groups, and eventually churches. Seventy-two church planters equipped and sent to share the gospel in Nepal. This gives me hope.

Our and powerful, the famous and talented, and big events like elections, but the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. Though it is the smallest of seeds, it grows into the largest of garden plants.

However you may feel after the election this week, may whatever you feel be tempered by this truth: nations rise and empires fall, but our God’s kingdom endures forever.

– Greg

Connect to God
This Sunday we will gather indoors at 9 and 11 am. You can sign-up to attend worship either using the links below or on the front-page of our website beginning on Monday mornings. Following are the links to sign-up for worship this Sunday:
9 am service: https://zionreformed.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/609564
11 am service: https://zionreformed.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/609565

If you are not able to join us in person or would simply prefer to not gather in a large crowd yet, you can still join us for online worship. We will be live streaming both our 9 and 11 am services at zionreformed.online.church and Zion’s Facebook Page. We will also rebroadcast the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday.

In Ephesians 2, Paul says that Jesus has broken down the dividing wall that separated people from God and Jews from Gentiles. Over the next three weeks, we will be thinking about what it means for us today that Jesus has broken down the dividing wall between the races. How do we live out this core gospel truth in a culture of racial tensions and a history of racial oppression? Join us as we consider the importance of lament, confession, and repentance in healing the racial divide in our churches and communities.

This Sunday, we also welcome Brenda Dieffenbach from Western Theological Seminary, She will be sharing an update on their work equipping the next generation of pastors and how we can support and pray for the ministry of Western.

Grow in Community
We extend our congratulations to Austen and Olivia (Stegeman) DeHaan who were united in marriage last evening. We also extend our congratulations to Jim and Dar (Grit) Oudbier who will be united in marriage on Friday evening. May God bless them as they begin their lives together.

In the past couple of weeks, over a dozen members of our church have been diagnosed with Covid. Thankfully, most of them have had mild cases and are doing very well. Some, however, have been quite sick for several days. And so, I ask you to both be praying for those who are ill and to continue being vigilant in wearing masks, keeping our distance, and washing our hands when we gather Sunday.

Jim and Barb Overweg share this note with our congregation: “I would like to thank everyone for the cards, thoughts and prayers before, during, and after my recent kidney surgery. I could feel the prayers as I had a peaceful feeling throughout the event. I am slowly gaining strength and am doing alright with Jim’s help.”

Beginning in Advent, we will be reading through the New Testament as a church over the next year. In addition, we will also have some sermon series tied to the readings throughout the year. And, we are encouraging everyone to use the Through the Word app on Apple or Android devices. This app not only has the scripture readings, but also a 9-10 minute teaching on the passage of the day, This could be a great way for our Discipleship Triads to study together or for a small group or family to do devotions together. If you are unsure how to install the app, we have made a short instructional video to show you how to do so on an iPhone. You can find that video here.

After I had finished the first draft of the sermon for this week, I received an invite to watch a discussion on racial reconciliation between Matt Chandler and Bryan Loritts. Then, I found a 5 session Bible study they had created on Ephesians on the topic of race and the gospel. I immediately checked out the study and highly recommend it to any small groups, families or individuals who may want to think more intentionally about how the gospel speaks to the racial challenges in our culture. You can find the study here through our RightNow account.

Meeting as a small group poses some particular challenges during this time of Covid. Between health concerns, deciding if you want a babysitter in your house, or if you even want to meet with several other families in person leave many unsure what to do. Let me offer a couple of suggestions. Some small groups have chosen to meet at church in one of our large education rooms. You can socially distance and still be in physically together. Or, if your group is doing a video study with RightNow Media you can now simul-stream (is that a word) to your whole group. The interface looks a lot like a zoom call with the video in the center of the screen and little videos of all the participants on the side. It is a great way to still study scripture, talk about life, and be sort of together when being all crammed in a small space isn’t an option. If you want to check out our RightNow Media and need to sign-up you can do so here.

Serve the World
Our Hand2Hand ministry is currently serving 52 students in the Grandville school district. If you want to support Hand2Hand or learn more about the ministry, please contact Sheila Johnson (sheilaj2494@yahoo.com) or Shawn Sanders (joshandshawn@hotmail.com).

If you would like to support our Personal Care Pantry, following items (full size – not travel size) are needed and can be dropped off on a Sunday morning or during the week Monday through Thursday:
Laundry Soap    Bar Soap    Dish Soap         Disposable Razors
Shampoo    Conditioner    Toothpaste         Paper Grocery Bags
Deodorant    Tampons     Maxi Pads         Paper towels (1 or 2 pack)    Toilet paper (1-4 pack)
Donations can be placed in the box in the narthex marked “pantry donations”.

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

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. We are especially grateful this week for all those who have adjusted their means of giving to give online, through the mail, and via text.

Fiscal Year to Date Budget: $231,138.16
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $195,160.57
Giving Last Week: $7,268.00

This weekend is Halloween. While some Christians choose not to participate in Halloween, many others enjoy the fun of dressing up as something they are not. In my house this year, we have a greek goddess and a Michigan fan wearing a dunce cap. As a child, my mom was willing to go all out making costumes for Halloween and one year I went in a full E.T. hand made costume including a glowing heart and finger. In college, I borrowed a costume from the Holland Chorale Tulip Time show and went to a party as a One Eyed, One-Horned, Flying, Purple People-Eater. It’s fun to dress up for a night and pretend.

As a child, playing dress up and putting on costumes is a way to imagine what it could be like to be an adult or to think about how other people live. It’s why kids play house, cops and robbers, and school. They are making sense of their world and figuring out how they fit in. It’s fun to put on a mask and pretend for a while.

As a young adult, I was working at Herman Miller during a round of layoffs. People were tense. Scared. Short with one another. For a couple of years, it felt like one reorganization after another. I was talking with an executive about the anxiety and worry people had and she said, “Sometimes, you just have to fake it ’til you make it.” I have heard that advice several times since and it is often good advice. Sometimes we have to put on a brave face and just face the challenges we find overwhelming. Sometimes we have to pretend we know what we are doing as we figure it out.

But, when we are always faking it ’til we make. When we are always hiding behind a mask of competence and having our life figured out. Pretty soon we can begin to lose who we are. We  can begin to think our value and worth comes from the mask we wear rather than who we truly are.

The beauty of Jesus is that he unmasks our false selves, the people we pretend to be, and then when we finally see ourselves as we really are, he tells us we are loved. We see this over and over in the gospels. He sees Zachaeus in the tree. He sees the rejection of the woman at the well. He sees the sin of the woman caught in adultery. The denial, false braggadocio and fear of Peter. The doubts of the crowd. He sees them as they are and he accepts and loves them.

At our best, this is the beauty of the church. It is the one place we can go, messed up lives, doubts and fears, failures and successes, and know we will be accepted and loved just as we truly are. This is a place we do not need to pretend. It is a place we can be known.

Afterall, the church is God’s house. The same God who knit us together in our mothers wombs and knew us before we were born and knows us now even better than we know ourselves and he loves us enough to give up his life for us. Take off the mask this week and come to Jesus and receive his rest.

– Greg

Connect to God
This Sunday we will gather indoors at 9 and 11 am. In order to ensure we are able to practice social distancing indoors, we are asking people to sign-up for the service they are planning to attend. You can sign-up to attend worship either using the links in below or on the front-page of our website beginning on Monday mornings. Following are the links to sign-up for worship this Sunday:
9 am service: https://zionreformed.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/598009
11 am service: https://zionreformed.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/598010

If you are not able to join us in person or would simply prefer to not gather in a large crowd yet, you can still join us for online worship. We will be live streaming both our 9 and 11 am services at zionreformed.online.church and Zion’s Facebook Page. We will also rebroadcast the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday.

On Tuesday next week, many people will go to the polls. Votes will be cast. Those already submitted will be counted. And then, on Wednesday or maybe a few days later after all the early ballots have been counted, our nation will have chosen its leaders for the next few years. Based on news accounts, social media feeds, and conversations, many people are anxious about this election. It feels like the most important election of their lives. As we consider Isaiah 40 this Sunday, we remember God is our true hope. He is our true security. And in him we find the joy and life we need.

This Sunday, we also have the joy of celebrating the baptism of Jason Sietsema, the son of Joe and Jill Sietsema. In baptism, we are reminded again our salvation is found not in any of our deeds or even the strength of our faith, but in the gracious and unfailing faithfulness of our God to his children.

Grow in Community
Meeting as a small group poses some particular challenges during this time of Covid. Between health concerns, deciding if you want a babysitter in your house, or if you even want to meet with several other families in person leave many unsure what to do. Let me offer a couple of suggestions. Some small groups have chosen to meet at church in one of our large education rooms. You can socially distance and still be in physically together. Or, if your group is doing a video study with RightNow Media you can now simul-stream (is that a word) to your whole group. The interface looks a lot like a zoom call with the video in the center of the screen and little videos of all the participants on the side. It is a great way to still study scripture, talk about life, and be sort of together when being all crammed in a small space isn’t an option. If you want to check our RightNow Media and need to sign-up you can do so here.

This Advent we will begin a church wide campaign to read through the New Testament together. We will not be reading at a breakneck pace. Instead, we will read 1 chapter a day, Monday through Friday for a year. In addition to reading scripture, we encourage you, if able, to use the app Through the Word, available on Apple and Google devices. We will be sharing more int he next few weeks, but I wanted to give you a heads up.

Zion Kids will be making a video of the kids telling us the Christmas story, using green screens and various backgrounds, in lieu of our typical Christmas program this year. If your child is interested in participating (in grades 3-5), please contact Rachel Brower by Sunday as the script is being finalized.

Serve the World
Last week, I shared an opportunity to help support Hand2Hand and Matthew Radcliff by donating your popcans. Matthew, with his parents,  will take them to the store to get them recycled. All proceeds will go directly to Hand2Hand. This Sunday is your last chance to donate any cans to Matthew for Hand2Hand so don’t forget to bring them Sunday morning. So, if you want to feel good about all your returnables, bring them to church and let’s turn them into food for local students.

Our Hand2Hand began ministry is currently serving 52 students in the Grandville school district. If you want to support Hand2Hand or learn more about the ministry, please contact Sheila Johnson (sheilaj2494@yahoo.com) or Shawn Sanders (joshandshawn@hotmail.com).

If you would like to support our Personal Care Pantry, following items (full size – not travel size) are needed and can be dropped off on a Sunday morning or during the week Monday through Thursday:
Laundry Soap    Bar Soap    Dish Soap         Disposable Razors
Shampoo    Conditioner    Toothpaste         Paper Grocery Bags
Deodorant    Tampons     Maxi Pads         Paper towels (1 or 2 pack)    Toilet paper (1-4 pack)
Donations can be placed in the box in the narthex marked “pantry donations”.

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

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. We are especially grateful this week for all those who have adjusted their means of giving to give online, through the mail, and via text.

Fiscal Year to Date Budget: $220,631.88
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $187,642.57
Giving Last Week: $6,577.06
Cash on Hand: $168,604.05