Zion E-News (12-20-2018)
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:1-9
Connect to God
Just a few days before Christmas, we come to the end of John’s prologue as the Word takes on flesh and moves into the neighborhood. In a world where the rich and powerful live in gated communities, safely ensconced in their wealthy ghettos, think for a moment what kind of all powerful God chooses to come and live with the likes of you and me. He comes not even in some earthly palace surrounded by guards and courtiers, but to a poor not-quite married yet couple in a small village in the backwaters of the empire. This God who is so great no one can even see his glory and live, condescends to live among us as a baby and somehow in this humble state shows his true glory. Come let us worship our newborn king!
Join us on Christmas Eve at 6 pm for a reflective Candlelight service as we celebrate the birth of Jesus! This is a great way to begin your Christmas celebration as we remember again the hope we have found in Christ and look not only at the manger, but through the manger to the empty tomb and our future life with him. Nursery will be provided, but children of all ages are encouraged to attend worship.
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
Micah Zondervan will be having surgery tomorrow to correct an inverted chest. Please hold Micah in your prayers as he recovers and his family as they care for him following surgery.
Throughout this fall, many people in our church have participated in a 729 Group. These groups commit to meet together for a meal once a month for three months. It is a great way to get to know some new people in church. I have heard numerous people tell me how much they have enjoyed getting to know people in their group. If you are looking to make some new connections over the winter, new to Zion, or wondering who some of these new people are, sign-up through the connections beginning on January 6 for our next round of 729 Groups.
In early January, we will be starting a new women’s exercise class on Monday nights. It will be a great time to both get some exercise and connect with other women at Zion. If you are interested in learning more, you can sign up on the Connection Card on Sunday.
Serve the World
On Monday, we again held our monthly Personal Care Pantry. Every month more than 50 families are supported, cared for, and blessed with some tangible help. If you are looking for a way to give back, a place to serve others, and get to know some more people at Zion. Please contact Luke Austin or Tom Boeve to learn more.
Christmas is a key season for churches new and old to reach out and welcome new people into their community. Join me in praying not only for our church to practice gracious hospitality this season, but also for City Chapel during its first Christmas season and for Lifeline Community Church that both our church plants may boldly share our hope in the newborn king this season.
Administrative Details
As many of you may know, in September our Consistory went on a retreat together to discern God’s call for Zion in the next several years. We will be sharing this vision in more detail early next year, but the core of our vision is a desire to raise up Christian leaders in order to plant new churches in the Grandville and Georgetown Township communities.
As part of this visioning process, we also have been assessing our ongoing needs at Zion in order to continue welcoming new people into our congregation. We are working on everything from assessing our outreach ministries to creating leadership development resources and assessing our building use. Currently, the Consistory is interviewing potential architects to help us better use the footprint of our building to more effectively welcome more people to our church. We are asking specifically for help in rightsizing our children and youth spaces and improving the traffic flow in the building on Sundays with some more welcoming gathering areas.
As you think about your upcoming end-of-year giving, please consider giving to our new Church Remodel Fund. Going forward, we will involve the congregation in both the design and decision process of any remodel, but wanted to share this opportunity to financially support this effort as we begin dreaming of how we can use our facility even better to reach people for God.
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: $315,380.80
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $307,452.52
Zion E-News (12-13-2018)
If you read nothing else in this e-mail you should read this and pray for this man and his church. Seriously. Read it. Pray.
Connect to God
In a world filled with war and violence, with oppression and corruption… in a world where more and more people are giving up on even the idea of God, we may be tempted to wonder if God has given up on us. As Karen Armstrong asks in her book The History of God, we may wonder, “Does God have a future?” But John reminds us God has not given up on this world. God has not abandoned it. God sees the darkness, but he sends his son to be the light for everyone. The world may not recognize him, many may not receive him, but this Advent we ask ourselves, “Have we received this word made flesh, the light that is coming, Jesus?”
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
Congratulations to Chip and Becky Harkes who welcomed Evelyn Rebecca into the world at 3 am this morning. Evelyn is 8lbs 1oz and 20.5 inches long. Mother and baby are both doing well.
Dave Geenen is recovering from knee surgery this past Tuesday. Please pray for continued healing and increased mobility.
Robie Dunn underwent back surgery this afternoon, Please hold both he and Sandie in your prayers as he begins his recovery.
Tom and Marcia Verbrugge request prayers for their grandson, Conrad Burton, who has been diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia after three years of remission.
David and Marlene Maier request prayers for their son-in-law, Mark Bremer, who has been diagnosed with colon cancer. Please pray the cancer is contained and that an upcoming surgery to determine the extent of the cancer and the best course of treatment.
In early January, we will be starting a new women’s exercise class on Monday nights. It will be a great time to both get some exercise and connect with other women at Zion. If you are interested in learning more, you can sign up on the Connection Card on Sunday.
Serve the World
Christmas is a key season for churches new and old to reach out and welcome new people into their community. Join me in praying not only for our church to practice gracious hospitality this season, but also for City Chapel during its first Christmas season and for Lifeline Community Church that both our church plants may boldly share our hope in the newborn king this season.
Administrative Details
As many of you may know, in September our Consistory went on a retreat together to discern God’s call for Zion in the next several years. We will be sharing this vision in more detail early next year, but the core of our vision is a desire to raise up Christian leaders in order to plant new churches in the Grandville and Georgetown Township communities.
As part of this visioning process, we also have been assessing our ongoing needs at Zion in order to continue welcoming new people into our congregation. We are working on everything from assessing our outreach ministries to creating leadership development resources and assessing our building use. Currently, the Consistory is interviewing potential architects to help us better use the footprint of our building to more effectively welcome more people to our church. We are asking specifically for help in rightsizing our children and youth spaces and improving the traffic flow in the building on Sundays with some more welcoming gathering areas.
As you think about your upcoming end-of-year giving, please consider giving to our new Church Remodel Fund. Going forward, we will involve the congregation in both the design and decision process of any remodel, but wanted to share this opportunity to financially support this effort as we begin dreaming of how we can use our facility even better to reach people for God.
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: $304,505.60
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $293,063.52
Zion E-News (12-6-2018)
So, I have no great theological insights today. No funny stories. But, I have lately been spending a lot of time in meetings to plan meetings and they always remind me of this old Dilbert cartoon. If you are in a large organization, maybe you have some of these ridiculous meetings to plan a meeting, too. And, I hope you can appreciate the humor. If not, have sympathy on those of us in meetings where you begin to wonder if hitting your head against the wall would be a good way to get out of the meeting.
Connect to God
This Sunday we have the joy of being left in worship by the children of Zion. This year they will be telling us about the Messiah who is like King David, but not quite. A Messiah who comes in a manger, but becomes King of all kings. We expect a sizable crowd so you may want to come early and plan on using every available seat this Sunday.
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
Dave Geenen is recovering from knee surgery on Tuesday. Please pray for continued healing and increased mobility.
We extend our sympathy to Zach and Kallie Elmore in the passing of Zach’s mother Alice last week Saturday.
Tom and Marcia Verbrugge request prayers for their grandson, Conrad Burton, who has been diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia after three years of remission. Please pray for strength and healing for Conrad and continued hope and strength for his parents, Lisa and Mike, and his siblings Victoria, Clint, and Virginia.
In early January, we will be starting a new women’s exercise class on Monday nights. It will be a great time to both get some exercise and connect with other women at Zion. If you are interested in learning more, you can sign up on the Connection Card on Sunday.
Serve the World
A huge thank you to all who gave generously to the Thanksgiving offering over the past 2 weeks. We raised $8,666 to be given to Good News Nepal, RCA relief efforts for Hurricane Michael, and to support several families in our local community.
Administrative Details
As many of you may know, in September our Consistory went on a retreat together to discern God’s call for Zion in the next several years. We will be sharing this vision in more detail early next year, but the core of our vision is a desire to raise up Christian leaders in order to plant new churches in the Grandville and Georgetown Township communities.
As part of this visioning process, we also have been assessing our ongoing needs at Zion in order to continue welcoming new people into our congregation. We are working on everything from assessing our outreach ministries to creating leadership development resources and assessing our building use. Currently, the Consistory is interviewing potential architects to help us better use the footprint of our building to more effectively welcome more people to our church. We are asking specifically for help in rightsizing our children and youth spaces and improving the traffic flow in the building on Sundays with some more welcoming gathering areas.
As you think about your upcoming end-of-year giving, please consider giving to our new Church Remodel Fund. Going forward, we will involve the congregation in both the design and decision process of any remodel, but wanted to share this opportunity to financially support this effort as we begin dreaming of how we can use our facility even better to reach people for God.
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: $293,634.40
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $284,549.52
Zion E-News (11-21-2018)
The last week or so, I have been captivated by the tragic story of the young man who was killed on an island near India because of his efforts to share the gospel with a remote tribe. The story is complicated as you cannot help but feel sympathy for the young man, his family and his friends as they all mourn his loss. And, I also respect his passion and willingness to take risks for God.
And yet, I am also left with an unsettled feeling in my gut. The story reminds me of the similar story of Nate Saint and his friends back in the 1950s who lost their lives in Ecuador during a similar attempt to reach a remote tribe. Those who study missions warn us that these efforts are both unhelpful and very dangerous. Mission work takes time, building relationships, learning the language. understanding the culture. Evangelism does not happen over night. It is often a long and tedious process. There simple are no shortcuts. (You can read a great reflection on this event by a missiologist here and another by Ed Stetzer here.)
The whole story got me thinking about church life here in West Michigan. There are lots and lots of people who live here who no longe for have never attended church. Some of them may still believe or almost believe, but need an invitation or a reminder of the gospel they once knew. But, many of them have been wounded by the church or have false views of Christians because of popular media or maybe even accurate views of us that we may not like. These people will not quickly come to believe in God, they need time to be known, heard, understood, and accepted. It takes time.
Sometimes, we can grow impatient with people. We want them to move at our pace rather than their own. We want them to already see what we see. But change takes time. Change takes safety and affirmation. Change takes relationship.
If there is someone you love who does not yet believe, don’t give up hope and stay in relationship. If you are growing frustrated by someone’s lack of response to the gospel, slow down, listen more and talk a little less. And most of all, pray. May we all pray for God’s Spirit to be at work in us and in those who are still far from him.
Connect to God
As a kid, I remember seeing my first 3-D movie poster (not the movie, just the poster) and being amazed as Jaws jumped off the page at me. It seemed so real. Now, you can put on a headset with your phone and play a virtual reality game, putting you in the middle of a combat zone or driving a race car. It’s not quite real, it virtually real. But deep down, something in us longs fro more than the illusion, we long for a real true life. Not a social media life, not a virtual reality life, and not a 3-D poster life, we want the real thing. Then look no further! In John 1, we meet the Word who literally made reality and invites us to experience true life in him.
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
In early January, we will be starting a new women’s exercise class on Monday nights. It will be a great time to both get some exercise and connect with other women at Zion. If you are interested in learning more, you can sign up on the Connection Card on Sunday.
Mark your calendars to join us for our annual Sunday School Christmas program on December 9 during our morning worship. This is a great tradition and the kids have been working hard to present us with the story of the true King who is like King David.
We are not only part of a church, but also part of our denomination. Our denomination, the Reformed Church in America, has been a continuing presence in the US for 390 years. We are also in a time of tension as a body and a group has been formed to prayerfully outline a way forward to continue in ministry. You can read about their latest meetings here.
Serve the World
A huge thank you to all who gave generously to the Thanksgiving offering over the past 2 weeks. We raised $8,666 to be given to Good News Nepal, RCA relief efforts for Hurricane Michael, and to support several families in our local community.
Administrative Details
As many of you may know, in September our Consistory went on a retreat together to discern God’s call for Zion in the next several years. We will be sharing this vision in more detail early next year, but the core of our vision is a desire to raise up Christian leaders in order to plant new churches in the Grandville and Georgetown Township communities.
As part of this visioning process, we also have been assessing our ongoing needs at Zion in order to continue welcoming new people into our congregation. We are working on everything from assessing our outreach ministries to creating leadership development resources and assessing our building use. Currently, the Consistory is interviewing potential architects to help us better use the footprint of our building to more effectively welcome more people to our church. We are asking specifically for help in rightsizing our children and youth spaces and improving the traffic flow in the building on Sundays with some more welcoming gathering areas.
As you think about your upcoming end-of-year giving, please consider giving to our new Church Remodel Fund. Going forward, we will involve the congregation in both the design and decision process of any remodel, but wanted to share this opportunity to financially support this effort as we begin dreaming of how we can use our facility even better to reach people for God.
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: $282,755.20
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $279,217.53
Zion E-News (11-21-2018)
Tomorrow our nation celebrates Thanksgiving. While not a Christian holiday, it is entirely Christian to give thanks to God for all he has done and given for us. On that note, following are 10 things for which I am thankful this year, not necessarily my top 10, but 10 things.
1. My wonderful wife who is one of the hardest workers I know, a great mother to my children, and laughs with me more than my jokes rightly deserve.
2. Four healthy children who ask great questions, tease me more than I probably deserve, some of whom will still snuggle on the couch with me, and make being a dad a delight and joy.
3. The staff at Zion who are not only great people to work with who love Jesus, but also dear friends
4. An amazing Consistory who impress me, and others, over and over with their heart for mission and willingness to take risks in pursuit of God’s mission for his church.
5. Doug McClintic and Randy Weener, both of whom are moving into new roles that will give them new and greater platforms to serve God. They have been wise mentors, counselors and friends, not only to me but also to our church. I will miss our regular connections, but pray for their continued service to the church.
6. All of you. Zion is a great church and you are all so much fun to share life with. I am thankful I get to be your pastor.
7. Shoes. I have had foot pain for several months and recently got some new shoes that make my feet feel way better. Good shoes matter.
8. My favorite authors like Scot McKnight, Timothy Keller, and NT Wright who nourish my soul and deepen my knowledge of scripture.
9. My discipleship triad group. For the past 9 months, I have been meeting with 2, now 3, men from our church. We read a lot of scripture and talk about what God is doing in our lives together. These times feed my soul.
10. Jesus who died for me.
For what are you thankful?
Connect to God
This Sunday, the church celebrates the final holiday of the Christian year, Christ the King Sunday. Next Sunday, the year starts over with the first Sunday in Advent when we begin to look forward to the coming of the Savior King. But on Sunday, we remember Jesus as the true King of the Universe whose kingdom will have no end. Of course, it doesn’t always feel like Jesus is king. We live in a world filled with violence, corruption, oppression, disease, and death. It is far from the world pictured in either the Garden of Eden or the New Jerusalem of the book of Revelation. But, though we cannot see it yet, scripture is absolutely clear that Jesus is indeed ruler of the world. In Daniel 7, we are given a brief glimpse into the cosmic struggle between the forces of chaos and evil and the good creator God. This vision ends with one like the son of man enthroned and ruling. We long for that day and until it comes, we work as ambassadors of this heavenly king.
During worship Sunday, we will celebrate communion on this Christ the King Sunday. In preparation for this joyful celebration, the Elders urge you to examine your life to see where you need to confess sin, where you need to apologize and make amends, and where you need to forgive so that we can come to the table truly as one united people, join together by the Spirit in Christ. Children are welcome at the Lord’s Table, at their parents discretion, but they must remain with their parents throughout the service as we will not bring them back into the sanctuary from Children and Worship during Communion.
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
In early January, we will be starting a new women’s exercise class on Monday nights. It will be a great time to both get some exercise and connect with other women at Zion. If you are interested in learning more, you can sign up on the Connection Card on Sunday.
Mark your calendars to join us for our annual Sunday School Christmas program on December 9 during our morning worship. This is a great tradition and the kids have been working hard to present us with the story of the true King who is like King David.
Serve the World
We received a new update from Jibit Asha (our church planting partner in Nepal). The planter we support in focusing on planting churches in three new communities and has found a space to gather for worship in one of those villages. They also asked for prayer for a recent converted family who have been denied access to the public well in their village and now have to walk over an hour to get water each day. Please join in praying for a new well in this village and others as clean drinking water is hard to find and for open hearts in these villages to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Tomorrow, we will once again gather on Thanksgiving morning at 9:30 am to worship and thank God for all he has provided this year. As is our tradition, we will have an open mic time for people to share their personal thanks as well.
We also collect a special Thanksgiving Offering each year. This year, the Thanksgiving offering will go to support local families (identified by our Hand2Hand ministry), Good News Nepal, and Hurricane Michael relief efforts coordinated by the Reformed Church in America. This offering will be collected on November 18, Thanksgiving morning, and November 25.
Administrative Details
As many of you may know, in September our Consistory went on a retreat together to discern God’s call for Zion in the next several years. We will be sharing this vision in more detail early next year, but the core of our vision is a desire to raise up Christian leaders in order to plant new churches in the Grandville and Georgetown Township communities.
As part of this visioning process, we also have been assessing our ongoing needs at Zion in order to continue welcoming new people into our congregation. As one significant example, in the past three years, we have seen the number of kids participating in our Christmas program grow from 30 children in 2015 to 68 children this year. We thank God for the gift of these children and their families. And, this growth has put a strain on how we use our building.
Currently, the Consistory is interviewing potential architects to help us better use the footprint of our building to more effectively welcome more people to our church. We are asking specifically for help in rightsizing our children and youth spaces and improving the traffic flow in the building on Sundays. (You may have noticed our hallways can feel a little congested and some Sunday school classrooms that can comfortably hold 6-8 children, but regularly have 10 or more.)
As you think about your upcoming end-of-year giving, please consider giving to our new Church Remodel Fund. Going forward, we will involve the congregation in both the design and decision process of any remodel, but wanted to share this opportunity to financially support this effort as we begin dreaming of how we can use our facility even better to reach people for God.
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: $271,880.00
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $268,945.82
