Consistory Update (3-18-2020)

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Dear Zion Family,

The last week or so has been a bit of a whirlwind with school closings, restaurant closings, and growing anxiety in our society over the Covid-19 virus. In the midst of these concerns, I am reminded of Paul’s words to the church in Rome, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (8:28)” While we do not know what will happen today or tomorrow, we can trust that even in these trials, our God is still at work for the good of his people. We may feel surprised by the events of the past few days, but we know our God is not and he is still in control.

As we are being forced to learn new ways of operating as a church, I wonder what God is doing among us. Rather than being a hindrance to being church, this time may drive us to find creative ways to connect with and care for one another. We may learn new ways to communicate the hope we have in Christ. People afraid of the future may turn back to our God and we want to be ready to give them the reason for the hope we have found in Christ. Even now, we know our God and his kingdom are on the move.

Some of you may be wondering what will happen on Sunday mornings. We are planning on streaming our worship service on Sundays at 9:30 am until we are given permission to meet as a gathered body. You can access this service either through the banner at the top of our website at www.zionreformed.org or go directly to zionreformed.online.church to view the livestream. This week, we are planning to include some interactive portions allowing people to choose a song or two and also share prayer requests to be included in our congregational prayer.

We will also hold youth group on Sunday nights, though they will now be meeting online. Jeremy Zoet is working hard to plan an engaging event for the students and leaders. Rachel Brower will also continue offering resources for parents to hold Sunday school for the children at home. In addition, we are beginning to offer several opportunities to connect online via video conferencing. Those events will be shared in our weekly E-news and on our facebook page.

As a people who know our future is held by God, we are uniquely prepared to enter this season not from a place of fear and anxiety, but with our eyes opened to the possibility of God doing something new among us. We are now surrounded by opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community. You may be able to help neighbors who need groceries or someone to pick up medicine for them. A phone call can have a huge impact on the day of someone who lives alone. Cards sent to those in nursing homes can brighten the day. We have each been called to this time to love in Jesus’ name. Let’s commit to look for ways to demonstrate the presence of God even in this time.

The simplest and best way to love our neighbors right now is to stay home. Mortality rates for people over 80 who contract the disease could be as high as 40%. Even if you are healthy and young, you should stay home to avoid accidentally spreading the virus to those whose bodies cannot as easily fight it off. As Christians, we do this not because someone told us to stay home, but because our love for our neighbors compels us to sacrifice our personal freedom to keep them safe.

In addition to our individual acts of love, our ministries like Hand2Hand and the Personal Care Pantry will be even more important going forward. We have already been in conversation with both Jenison and Grandville Public Schools. As more information regarding their needs becomes available we will share it with you. Following are a few ways we can help our community at this time:

1. Donations of personal Care Items are being collected by Sunrise Ministries on 28th Street in Jenison.
2. Donations of food are being collected by Love, Inc to be distributed through the schools to those in need.
3. Love, Inc. is in particular need of volunteers as they have sent home all of their volunteers 60+ because they are at the greatest risk to Covid-19.

If you or your family are in need of help, please contact any of our staff and we will connect you with the deacons and any other available supports.

A few people have asked what all of this means for our Capital Campaign. The Capital Campaign is on hold for the foreseeable future. For now, we want to focus as a church on caring for one another, staying connected, and demonstrating the love of Christ to our neighbors. Eventually, this time will pass, we will gather to celebrate all the ways God has blessed and been with us in this anxious time, and then our Consistory will reconsider if or when to restart the campaign. As always, people matter more than buildings or programs at Zion and our focus remains caring for one another, worshipping our God, and helping our neighbors meet the God who loves them.

We will not be meeting physically together for several weeks in a row, but we still have expenses to cover such as support for missionaries, funding our benevolent ministries, ongoing costs of our building and paying our staff. Please be in prayer for our Consistory as they care for not only the people of our church, but also our finances. If you are able to continue to give to Zion, please do so. You can give by mailing a check, giving on-line at our website, or contacting the office to sign-up for electronic giving.

Remember, our God is in control and we can trust in him.

Pastor Greg

on behalf of the Consistory

 

Zion E-News (Special Edition)

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Dear Zion Family,

We value people over programs or events at Zion. God’s commandment to love our neighbors means that we need to watch out for one another, especially for those who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, including people over the age of 60 and those with immunosuppression, lung and heart conditions, diabetes and more.

I want to update you on our response to the coronavirus (COVID-19), especially as it moves into Michigan. We are closely monitoring information from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), and the Kent County Health Department (KCHD).

In the spirit of proactivity and at the recommendation of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, we have decided to cancel worship and all events face-to-face ministry events through March 26. This includes any private bookings of our facilities beginning on Sunday, March 15. We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust as is prudent. We will continue to run both Hand2Hand and the Personal Care Pantry as we know many are dependent on these services.

In lieu of gathered worship, we encourage our community to participate in home worship. You may want to do so with Zion friends who live nearby, with your small group, or your immediate family. Resources for corporate worship are available at our church website.

Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself and those around you:

  • Patients with COVID-19 experience mild to severe respiratory symptoms, which can include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. Stay home from work, school, or other activities if you feel at all ill, even if your symptoms are mild. 
  • Take advantage of Spectrum’s free virtual screenings if you feel ill.
  • Wash hands frequently with soap and water, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds.
  • Cough or sneeze into a clean tissue whenever possible or into your bent elbow if a tissue is unavailable.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
  • Per CDC recommendations, avoid close contact with others whenever possible.
  • If you believe you may have been exposed to the coronavirus, we would be grateful to know.
  • If you have not done so yet, now is a great time to consider setting up online giving so that we can continue supporting missionaries around the world and also our local ministries like Hand2Hand and the Personal Care Pantry during this time.

Here are a few useful links:

We hope to resume normal activity soon and will update you as the situation evolves. While this is a serious virus that requires thoughtful response, we believe that God does not give us a spirit of fear but of love (2 Timothy 1:7). We value the well-being of every person who belongs to this community, we wish to exercise wisdom, and we put our trust in Christ alone.

Grace & peace,

Pastor Greg

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3-15-20 Bulletin

Zion E-News (3-5-2020)

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For years, Georgetown Township has had a dark, dingy looking library. It held the books. Their staff were welcoming and helpful. But, it wasn’t the kind of space you wanted to hang out in. It served its purpose, but did not draw people to the library.

But recently, the new library opened. I finally made it there on Saturday and have been back 2 times since. Each time, I see students studying together in the teen study room. Kids are playing with the puppets in the clubhouse in the kids area and reading books in one of many reading nooks. Adults are doing puzzles, writing papers, and reading books by the fireplace in the quiet reading room. Small groups are using the conference rooms upstairs. And, others are sitting around tables talking near the entrance. They even have board games you can rent. As a lover of books and reading, I am so excited for our community to have a library space that feels inviting and welcoming.

Space matters. Decor matters. They shape how we experience a building and a community. That’s why McDonald’s invested $6 billion dollars in 2018 to remodel many of their stores. Target spent $7 billion in 2017. Qdoba invested in a significant remodel of its buildings in 2016 to remove the vaguely southwestern feel of cacti with the distinctive Q. Every organization from time to time needs to invest in its facilities to make them more inviting and welcoming to new patrons/customers or members.

I have been praying for our church, the potential remodel, and our current capital campaign. I do not know what God will do in this time, but I am hopeful that on the other side God will bless us with a space more naturally welcomes and invites people into the community of Zion I love and that better supports our mission to connect our neighbors with the God who loves them.

Connect to God
There is perhaps no greater influence in Christian discipleship and moral thinking than the Sermon on the Mount. In three short chapters, Jesus lays out a vision for how to live the good life, the life God intended for us, in our personal, public, and spiritual lives. This week, we continue our study of this influential sermon as we consider the motivations of our actions. Do we obey to impress the crowds or to please God?

If you would like a copy of the worship service, you can receive a complete copy by contacting Tom Verbrugge or you can find the weekly messages on our website.

Grow in Community
I love the community and relationships we all enjoy at Zion. And, with the concerns about the spread of the Corona Virus we will be instituting some changes in worship this Sunday. During our greeting time, we will ask people to simply welcome one another verbally or with an elbow bump rather than a hand shake. Also, please feel free to take advantage of the hand sanitizer placed in the exits on the left and right side of the sanctuary. And, if you are working with children, please make sure to wash your hands well and remind the children to do so as well. There is a great article on appropriate responses to the outbreak at Christianity Today here.

All 2020 Mission Trip Shareholders are invited to join our youth for a meet and greet being held in the fellowship hall downstairs after worship on March 8.

Serve the World
Planning is underway for another great summer ta Camp Zion. If you are a high school interested in serving on staff, applications are available on the Camp Zion bulletin board near the office. Applications are due Sunday March 29. Please keep Camp Zion, our staff, and the kids who will be attending in your prayers as we prepare for the summer.

City Chapel continues to worship at City Flats Hotel. They continue to see new visitors and have especially enjoyed new college students attending and have several families expecting new children as well. Please be in prayer for them as Pastor Ron prepares for changes in his responsibilities this summer as he and Anna anticipate welcoming their first child.

Administrative Details
This Sunday, we will kick off 27 days of pray for our church as part of our capital campaign. We have daily devotionals available as well. There are physical copies in everyone’s mailbox at church or you can access them on our website here. If you want to keep up with our capital campaign, you can find all sorts of information on our website here.

If you receive the denominational magazine RCA Today, you may have seen an article about our church. I was interviewed last fall to talk a little about what God has been doing through all of you here at Zion. I never want to pass up on a chance to brag about the great people of Zion, so I was happy to share. Unfortunately, I cannot share a link to the article here as it is not available on-line. But, you should check it out in the magazine and join me in thanking God for the work he is doing among us.

THIS WEEK’S BULLETIN

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3-8-20 Bulletin

Zion E-News (2-27-2020)

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From dust you are to dust you will return.

Our Ash Wednesday service is my favorite worship service of the year. It doesn’t change much from year to year. The scripture readings are almost always the exact same ones. The meditation always makes a similar point. We always end with the imposition of ashes and communion. But there is something about the service that speaks to my soul.

Last night was not one of my finest moments. It had been a long day. Some issues were laying heavy on my heart. And then some minor changes were made right before the service started and it just annoyed me. In my head I knew the changes shouldn’t bother me and that I actually agreed with them. But emotionally, I was annoyed. And grumpy.

In a couple of minutes, I had worked through my immature annoyance and was ready to worship God again. But as I stood at the communion table and then as I said those words over and over again, “From dust you are to dust you shall return,” I remembered why I love this service so much.

I need communion. Following God is hard. I mess up all the time. But communion reminds me God has already welcomed me into his family and to the dinner table. We pause and remember what Jesus has already done for us, how he strengthens us and enables us to follow, and that one day we will be transformed as he was at the resurrection.

But right now, we are still dust. I am frail. I am weak. I make all sorts of mistakes. I am not as important as I can sometimes think I am. I am dust. You are dust. We are not as strong as we think we are. God already knows this, but Ash Wednesday reminds us of this truth.

Reflecting on that experience with a couple of Consistory members last night, I am reminded we are often too hard on ourselves and on other people. We are only dust. We are here today and gone tomorrow. We are all pretty weak and frail. Let’s be gentle with each other. Gracious with each other’s weaknesses. No one needs to be perfect because Jesus was already perfect for us all.

For we are all dust.

Connect to God
There is perhaps no greater influence in Christian discipleship and moral thinking than the Sermon on the Mount. In three short chapters, Jesus lays out a vision for how to live the good life, the life God intended for us, in our personal, public, and spiritual lives. This week, we continue our study of this influential sermon as we consider the exclusive call of God to serve God and God alone.

If you would like a copy of the worship service, you can receive a complete copy by contacting Tom Verbrugge or you can find the weekly messages on our website.

Grow in Community
We are holding several identical meetings to challenge leaders in our church to participate in our Building Up. Reaching Out Campaign. Anyone who is interested in “going first” in committing to give to the campaign is  invited to attend one of our challenge meetings. Please RSVP for the date you plan to attend on the back of the Connection Card today.  Meetings dates and locations are:

Tuesday, March 10 6:30-8:00PM at the home of Dianne Kooiker
Wednesday, March 11 6:30-8:00PM at the home of Josh & Shawn Sanders
Thursday, March 12 6:30-8:00PM at the home of Ken and Sheila Johnson
Wednesday, March 18 6:30-8:00PM at the home of Steve & Kathy Northuis

All 2020 Mission Trip Shareholders are invited to join our youth for a meet and greet being held in the fellowship hall downstairs after worship on March 8.

If you are a confessing member of Zion and over the age of 18, please remember to turn in your Consistory willing to serve response form by March 1.

Serve the World
On Monday night, our Personal Care Pantry team welcomed about 80 families to receive basic care items such as soap, shampoo and such. This month, we had families connect with our church United Church Outreach Ministries in Wyoming, local neighborhood friends, and Jenison Public schools. Thank you to all who faithfully serve in the Personal Care Pantry.

Administrative Details
If you want to keep up with our capital campaign, you can check out all sorts of information on our website here.

The Leaders Meeting for Sunday, March 1 has been canceled.

If you receive the denominational magazine RCA Today, you may have seen an article about our church. I was interviewed last fall to talk a little about what God has been doing through all of you here at Zion. I never want to pass up on a chance to brag about the great people of Zion, so I was happy to share. Unfortunately, I cannot share a link to the article here as it is not available on-line. But, you should check it out in the magazine and join me in thanking God for the work he is doing among us.

This Week’s Bulletin

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3-1-20 Bulletin

This Week’s Bulletin

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2-23-20 Bulletin

Zion E-News (2-20-2020)

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Earlier this week, someone on social media asked people to share their worst/weirdest/most awkward experience they could recall as a visitor to a church. Following are some of the stories:
1. On a Sunday morning, we were told at the door they were having a special event and then they asked us to go to the Starbucks down the road for an hour until it was over and then come back.
2. Being introduced as a newcomer and then asked to stand up and tell the congregation about myself.
3. I had a family get to service and ask me to move and sit somewhere else because it was the spot they always sit in.
4. Being handed a KJV since mine was a “perVersion”
5. Visited a small church and was offered the chance to play the offertory.
6. Walked in and I was handed a clip on tie, I asked why and the person said, “you honor God by how well you dress.” I’m sure God was honored to see me wear a clip on tie with my v-neck shirt.
7. We were asked our names, David and Joan, but were then introduced to the tiny church as Brian and Judy.
8. Absolutely no one greeted us coming in or out.
9. My wife and I sat down at a table for Bible study and two other couples got up and moved to a different table without saying anything.
10. Within minutes of visiting a church for the first time I was brought up front to walk with the pastor. As the service began he invited me up front and introduced me as the guest pastor for the morning and then sat down. I was just visiting.

It takes a lot of courage to come to a church for the first time. And, there are lots of ways to welcome people poorly to church. I am grateful for all of you and the way so many of you are intentional each Sunday to welcome new people, to reach out to people you don’t yet know, and create a community in our space. Thank you.

Connect to God
There is perhaps no greater influence in Christian discipleship and moral thinking than the Sermon on the Mount. In three short chapters, Jesus lays out a vision for how to live the good life, the life God intended for us, in our personal, public, and spiritual lives. This week, we continue our study of this influential sermon as we consider the type of heart that motivates kingdom behavior.

On Wednesday February 26 at 6:30 pm, we will be celebrating Ash Wednesday. During the service, we will both observe communion and the imposition of ashes. The Elders encourage you in the week ahead to examine your life to see if there are any relationships in which you need to be reconciled, if there is any sin of which you need to repent, so that we can gather in unity at Jesus’ table on the 26th.

If you would like a copy of the worship service, you can receive a complete copy by contacting Tom Verbrugge or you can find the weekly messages on our website.

Grow in Community
Anne Algra-Muizelaar went to be with her Lord and Savior early Tuesday morning. Her funeral service will be held  at 11am on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home in Grandville. Visitation will be held from 10-11AM prior to the service. Please pray for peace and comfort for her family during this difficult time.

Please keep Kim Eling (sister-in-law to Matt and Katie Eling) who received some difficult news early this week in her ongoing battle with cancer. The cancer has spread to her brain and she will begin full brain radiation treatment beginning tomorrow. The family asks for prayers for 1) effective treatment with minimal side effects, 2) fluid to stay off of Kim’s lungs, 3) for a vertebrae fracture to remain stable and 4) for the peace of Christ to fill their hearts and minds.

This week our Sunday school students welcomed  Larry Westra as their honored guest. Larry taught Sunday School for 33 years, and he’s passionate about children meeting Jesus.  He still prays for the kids in our church on Wednesday evenings with the prayer group. We were so blessed to have him talk with the kids!

If you are a confessing member of Zion and over the age of 18, please remember to turn in your Consistory willing to serve response form by March 1.

Serve the World
We received an update from Jibit Asha recently about their work in Nepal in the month of January. During the month, they saw 15 new villages reached by their church planters, 7 people accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, 3 people baptized, a new church building begin to be built, and begin distributing warm blankets.

Administrative Details
If you want to keep up with our capital campaign, you can check out all sorts of information on our website here.

If you receive the denominational magazine RCA Today, you may have seen an article about our church. I was interviewed last fall to talk a little about what God has been doing through all of you here at Zion. I never want to pass up on a chance to brag about the great people of Zion, so I was happy to share. Unfortunately, I cannot share a link to the article here as it is not available on-line. But, you should check it out in the magazine and join me in thanking God for the work he is doing among us.

Our next Leaders Meeting will be Sunday, March 1 from 5-7 pm. We will enjoy a meal together, meeting in ministry teams, and Pastor Greg will share a little about potential changes in our denomination, the Reformed Church in America, as we await counsel from the Vision 2020 team established by our governing body two years ago. Child care will be provided for kids from birth through 5th grade. You can sign-up through the Connection Cards on Sunday. If you an adult interested in helping provide childcare, you can sign-up by the Welcome Center on Sunday.

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 to date budget: $421,489.16
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $412,230.49