Zion E-News (7-21-2022)
On Tuesday I left Camp Zion for an hour to work on this Sunday’s sermon. I returned to the sanctuary to see everyone at work on a craft making tree houses. I walked around to each table to see their work and encourage a few kids in their creativity. One girl showed me how her favorite pair of scissors broke, so I went up to the supply table to get a few more sets of scissors as options. When I turned around to head back, another little girl was in tears wanting my attention. I crouched down, pulled her in with a side hug, looked her in the eyes and asked what happened. She told me that other kids at the table were shaking the table, which was making it hard to work on her tree house craft. She also said they were teasing her. I brought her back to the table, talked to the other kids at the table (who were mostly friend-cousins) and asked them if they would like it if someone was doing what they were doing to this little girl. They said no, with embarrassed and regretful faces. Before I could get any further with talking to them about the incident, the little girl was already asking me for help with her craft by cutting some tape. She was already moving on because she received what she needed: someone who cared, someone to listen, someone to hug her, someone to help her, and someone to be by her side.
For some reason this incident continues to stick in my mind. It was a fragile, vulnerable, and holy moment. In this little girl I saw how I sometimes approach God and in my crouched-down-side-hugging-self I saw our Heavenly Father (I know it’s really bizarre and sounds like bragging to use myself as an illustration as the God figure in this story, but hear me out).
Sometimes I’m the crying little girl. I can all too often feel all alone in a crowd of people, especially as I regularly struggle with anxiety and depression. I can become frustrated and discouraged when what I’m trying to accomplish just doesn’t not seem to be working out (like trying to edit the church website to add the Children’s Ministry Director Position or when I can’t find the right words to express my thoughts as I write a sermon). My own inner dialogue can feel like friend-cousins teasing me – that inner dialogue knows me so well and knows exactly how to push my buttons. And when I’ve suppressed other feelings and needs that I’m not totally aware of, it can lead to a little bit of a breaking point, much like this little girl.
In that moment of frustration this little girl was wise. She walked away and went to someone she knew would be there for her. Someone who would have her back. Someone who could empathize. Someone who could use a hug to take some of the pain away. Someone who could protect. Someone who could help. Someone who could help her dreams (of a craft) become a reality.
And that little girl’s wisdom is what I and so many of us need. Sometimes we just need to walk away from the situation and go to our Father. He will be there for us. He will have our back. He understands and can empathize. He can hold us in our moment of need and take some of the pain away. He can protect. He can help. He can help our dreams become a reality.
What’s your current struggle?
I invite you to come before God like a crushed little girl. Don’t keep scrolling. Stop. Close your eyes. Start telling Him about your current struggle. He wants to wrap his loving arms around you. Find comfort and rest.
-Jeremy
Connect to God
This week we will gather for worship at 9:30 am. This weeks service will be 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 4pm next Sunday. The service will continue to be available on YouTube to watch at your convenience.
WE NEED more volunteers to help at the Child Check-In on Sunday mornings. Training will be provided. If you’d be willing to help on a Sunday this summer, please contact Kelly Osterink at 616-446-6704. Thanks!
We will not be having a sermon series for the summer. Instead we look forward to stand alone messages from a variety of voices:
July 24: Pastor Jeremy Zoet
July 31: Andrew Moore (Zion Member who is an ordained pastor in the RCA)
August 7: Eddy Aleman (General Secretary of the RCA)
August 14: Randy Weener (RCA Director of Church Multiplication)
August 21: Transition Pastor: Steve Petroelje
August 28: Transition Pastor: Steve Petroelje
Grow in Community
MOTT FAMILY: Ellie (19 y/o) was admitted to Saint Mary’s on Friday for continuous headaches and blurry vision. There is a mass on her brain that they think is likely a benign slow growing tumor on her brain, but they don’t know for sure. She met with neuro-oncology on Wednesday and didn’t learn much more. She is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday, July 26. Sydney (16 y/o) had her 4th treatment of chemotherapy on Wednesday to fight the Hodgkin’s Lymphoma she found out she has back in May. Please pray for the entire family during this difficult time! A meal train was recently started. If you’d like to contribute, follow this link.
CONGRATULATIONS to Bronson and Ashley Swan on the birth of their daughter Madison Jo. Madison was born on July 20 at 12:43PM. She weighed 6lb 14oz and was 19 1/4” long. She was welcomed home by her big brother Sawyer. We praise God for this precious gift.
WILLIS KUIPER will be celebrating his 90th birthday on August 5. If you would like to send birthday wishes his way, his mailing address is: 2589 44th St SE Room 113, Grand Rapids, MI 49512
A PARK PLAYDATE at Zion’s playground is being planned for Tuesday, August 2 from 10 to 11:30am. There will also be a bounce house and popsicles! This is a great opportunity to invite a friend!
Summer is a great time to try out new ways to serve in at Zion. If you are interested in serving on one of our welcome teams, now is the time to try it out a few times over the summer! If you are already on a team or want to try it out, you can sign up to serve as an usher, greeter, or to help at the child check in station here.
We have switched to our summer mode in Zion Kids! We’ll be running a nursery, and a simplified program for kids 3 yrs.-going into 3rd grade (all together). We read Bible stories to kids in small groups, pray, do crafts & play with them. It’s really fun, and a great way to get to know the kids! To make this happen, we need your help! Would you be willing to serve In kids ministry two times over the summer months? We’re looking for young grandparents, teenagers, parents, and people who enjoy being around kids. We’ll make sure to pair summer volunteers alongside our regular kids ministry people. All adults over 18 years old must go through Keeping Kids Safe training and a background check prior to serving with kids. If needed, Pastor Jeremy will contact you to set up a time to go over our policies. These really are fun Summer Sundays with extra time to get to know the kids a bit more! You can sign up through the links below, or via a sign up sheet outside of Room 205, or by texting Katie Wagner at 616-994-2880 or Jacki Deiter at 616-437-4791. Thanks for considering supporting our kids & young families!
Summer Kids Ministry
Nursery
Serve the World
THREADS: We will be having an end of the season sale at Threads on Saturday, August 13 from 9am-1pm. All summer clothing items and accessories will be $1 each (Cash or checks only). All the profit from this sale will be used to purchase new needed items for the ministry.
CAMP ZION: The theme verse for the year is Luke 10:27 which says: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” In addition, the campers will be studying the 10 commandments over the 6 weeks of camp. If you are interested in helping out with Camp Zion, you can sign up to volunteer using the link below.
Camp Zion Volunteer Sign Ups
If you need help, either with food, personal care items, help grocery shopping, or with financial needs, please contact Jerrod Holzgen, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is Jholzgen@yahoo.com and his phone number is 616-520-1771.
Administration
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY DIRECTOR SEARCH: The search for a new Children’s Ministry Director is underway. With the help of consistory, a search committee of Rick Vanderwall (as a non-voting advisory role) Shanda VandePol, Emily Morehouse, Matt Eling, Heidi Ondersma, and Jerrod Holzgen was formed. The job description was updated and is now posted in several locations include the RCA and CRC websites and on the banner of Zion’s home page. This is a part time (approx. 20 hours per week), salaried position. If you or someone you know is interested, or if you have questions, please contact Jerrod at jholzgen@yahoo.com or 616-520-1771. Thank you for your support during this period of transition and will keep you posted as the search proceeds.
ROOM/OFFICE CHANGES: The season of having a church library is coming to a close. Why? Besides it rarely being used by less than a handful of members, and because of a more complex reason why: Threads is exploding with donations on a regular basis and needs more storage, which led to a multi-room switch. Camp Zion’s storage is moving from the basement, to the “Library” (double doors on the front east side of the sanctuary). Camp Zion’s office is also moving into the old library for one big Camp Zion office/storage space. The Children’s Director’s office is moving to the Camp Zion office (Northwest corner of the building our the front right side of the sanctuary). The old Children’s Director office is becoming the new music supply closet (formerly getting extra music stands, mic stands, and cables, etc. required climbing up in the open space where the organ’s pipes used to be – which is behind the right screen in the sanctuary – I almost ripped my pants too many times on a Sunday morning climbing on a stool to get up there). Now that Camp Zion has overtaken the library, the Camp Zion staff helped Pastor Rick move all the books to room 202 (last classroom on the south side of the hall). The books are free for the taking until the beginning of October, when the remaining books will move to the Paper Gator. A big thanks to Pastor Rick for moving so many things this week to start this transition!
We look forward to our Transition Pastor, Steve Petroelje, starting at Zion on Monday, August 15. Pastor Steve stopped into Zion to sign some paperwork with Connie on Wednesday and was able to meet a few people. Our staff and consistory are excited to start working with him soon!
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 2021/22 Budget: $71,828.19
Fiscal Year 2021/22 Contributions: $62,571.47
Giving Last Week: $9,923.50
