ZION E-NEWS (5-2-24)

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.

THE ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING will be held in the sanctuary after worship this Sunday, May 5.  The meeting is open to anyone who attends Zion, but only active confessing members can vote. Childcare is not provided. There will be a brief time for refreshments and picking up children from Zion Kids between the service and the meeting. This year’s double slate of nominated and consenting individuals are:
Elders                                                           Deacons
Matt Eling                                                    Jacquie Knott
Rachel Eriks                                               Adam Morehouse
Mark Gazan                                                  Josh Sanders
Andrew Moore                                              Justin Steere
From the four Elders and four Deacons, two of each will be chosen by the drawing of names at the meeting. A copy of the proposed budget is available in the back of the sanctuary.

MISSION TRIP SHAREHOLDER information has been placed in your church mailbox. As a Shareholder, you will be matched up with one student and commit to praying for them before, during, and after the trip. Shareholders are given copies of the pre-trip devotionals written by the students, are contacted by their student before the trip, receive a postcard from their student during the trip detailing what they have been doing, and are invited to a Celebration Lunch after the youth-led mission trip service on July 14. If you would like to partner with our youth and support their summer mission trip to Washington DC by becoming a MISSION TRIP SHAREHOLDER place your completed registration card and payment in the jar on the table in the narthex or turn it in to the church office by May 12, 2024. Extra registration cards are on the information table in the narthex.

CONGRATULATIONS to our Camp Zion 2024 Teen Staff members. Hope Eriks, Olivia Zoet, and Abby Ursiny.

We are excited to see these girls in action this summer and cannot wait to see how much they learn and grow.

DEAR ZION FAMILY, Thank you so much for your generous giving! It means so much that you took an offering specifically for me. Your love and care for me is so appreciated! The amount you gave covered the rest of my startup costs, which is incredible! Throughout this whole process, I have seen the Lord going before me and providing in His timing. I hope you know that Zion church has been a huge part of that! I truly consider it a privilege to be able to see firsthand how the body of Christ cares for one another and works together toward the same purpose: to see more and more people have a clear understanding of the Gospel and a deep relationship with God.  In Christ,   Emma DeVries

DEAR FRIENDS, I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for the overwhelming support and generosity you have extended in response to the recent tragedy in Mai Mahiu. The outpouring of love and support from each and every one of you has been truly remarkable, and I am deeply touched by your kindness and compassion. Your willingness to lend a helping hand during this difficult time is a testament to the strength of our faith and the power of our love for God. Your contributions and words of encouragement, have been so encouraging. Your generous support enabled us to provide food, clothing, and hygiene products immediately for those who lost everything in the flooding, and will continue to help us provide for urgent needs as they arise. Mary is running point with our Pastor and the church elders.  Words cannot adequately express the depth of my gratitude for your generosity and kindness. Please know that your support has made a meaningful impact and has brought light into the darkness for those in need. As we continue our efforts to support the affected families and rebuild communities in Mai Mahiu, I am reminded of the power of unity and compassion. Together, we can overcome any challenge and make a positive difference in the world around us. Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unwavering support and friendship. Your love and generosity are truly appreciated, and I am honored to count you among my friends. With heartfelt gratitude, Jeremiah Kuria

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 needs volunteers to make coffee, serve as an usher, greeter, or 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! To sign up to provide cookies please contact Debbie Coke at (269) 680-5490.

SAY IT DAY #6: Kids, we will be practicing the following Bible verse for the next four weeks in class and at home. Anyone who can recite this verse from memory to their teacher in class on May 12, will be able to choose a prize from the treasure box.
Preschool – 2nd Grade: “Yours, Lord is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11b CSB
3rd-5th Grade: “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all.”   1 Chronicles 29:11 CSB

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, or 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.

WE CONTINUE to thank God for his provision of all of our needs and the generous support of our congregation with their time, talent, and resources.

Fiscal Year 2023/24 Budget:  $554,061.60
Fiscal Year 2023/24 Contributions:  $521,958.05
Giving Last Week: $8,851.73

ZION E-NEWS (4-18-24)

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.

THE ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING will be held in the sanctuary after worship on Sunday, May 5.  The meeting is open to anyone who attends Zion, but only active confessing members can vote. Childcare is not provided. There will be a brief time for refreshments and picking up children from Zion Kids between the service and the meeting. This year’s double slate of nominated and consenting individuals are:
Elders: Matt Eling, Rachel Eriks, Mark Gazan, Andrew Moore                                                                          Deacons: Jacquie Knott, Adam Morehouse, Josh Sanders, Justin Steere
From the four Elders and four Deacons, two of each will be chosen by the drawing of names at the meeting. A copy of the proposed budget is available in the back of the sanctuary.

THREADS BOUTIQUE was ready for spring on Tuesday, April 9th.  The boutique was filled with spring apparel and accessories, Prom dresses, brand new donated Vera Bradley items, and new shoes donated from Striders.  And Wow!  Threads was hopping on Tuesday’s shopping day!  A couple of us were talking about how it felt as busy as it does before Christmas.  Then I did the numbers…and this was actually our HIGHEST NUMBERS EVER!
*We served 62 families
*219 people received clothing
*1,413 pieces of clothing were given away
*196 accessories were given away
*60 families received personal care items
*10 people had haircuts
Praise be to God that we were able to serve that many families and were able to give away over 1,600 pieces of quality clothing items to these families in one day! Thank you, Lord, for this truly remarkable ministry that our church can provide to the community.   ~Jill

IT’S A GIRL! Bronson and Ashley Swan welcomed Harper Alaina into the world at 11:27AM on Wednesday, April 17. Harper weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and measured 20” long. Congratulations to the Swan family on their new, beautiful little blessing!

CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of our Zion March Madness bracket challenge!  First place went to Kim Zoet and second place to Pastor Jeremy!  Jacob Sundberg and Tom Boeve tied for third place. Winners will receive their prizes soon.  Thanks for playing!

WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are working on cosmetic and safety updates in our kitchen.  We are excited that some work has already begun and we should be able to complete all the updates in about 2 weeks.  We need your help.  We are looking for about 8 – 10 pictures of people using the kitchen.  Old and new, it doesn’t matter but we are trying to put together a small picture wall showing the deep history of how our church kitchen has been used.  You can bring these into the office, put them in Troy Austin’s mailbox, or give them to Troy and tell me the story behind the pictures.  We will keep everyone updated on the progress and hope to have an open house sometime after church where all can see the kitchen and the various ministries run from the basement.

“YOU ROCK” Appreciation Luncheon:  We want to celebrate all of our Nursery, Zion Kids & Youth Group volunteers and thank you for all the time, talents, energy, and joy you have given this year to our children and youth ministries.  So, we are serving up lunch for you at the Zion rock-n-roll diner.
Who:  All Nursery, Zion Kids & Youth Group volunteers and their families.
When:  April 28, 2024 – Following the morning worship service.
RSVP: Text (616- 258-3291) or Email (zionkids@zionreformed.org) Rachel Verbrugge, by April
24th, with the number of people from your family that plan to attend.

SAY IT DAY #6: Kids, we will be practicing the following Bible verse for the next four weeks in class and at home. Anyone who can recite this verse from memory to their teacher in class on May 12, will be able to choose a prize from the treasure box.
Preschool – 2nd Grade: “Yours, Lord is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11b CSB
3rd-5th Grade: “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all.”   1 Chronicles 29:11 CSB

SPRING BOOK CLUB Would you like to grow in life-giving ways as you age? In Aging Faithfully, spiritual director Alice Fryling explores how to navigate the journey of retirement, lifestyle changes, and new limitations – and invites us to see God at work in new ways in the midst of it all. Join Pastor Marcia for one of two Book Club sessions to discuss the book together. RSVP for whichever day/time works best for you – Monday, April 29th at 6:30 PM or Wednesday, May 1st at 10:00 AM at Zion. This is just a one-time gathering. Please read the book before you come.  (It’s fairly short!) This is open to anyone interested in the topic, regardless of your age! Books can be purchased on your own at a local bookstore or via Amazon here: Aging Faithfully book. You can RSVP by calling the church office, emailing Pastor Marcia at mpratt@zionreformed.org, or signing up on the bulletin board outside the office.

WOMEN’S BUNCO NIGHT: If you’re interested in getting to know other women at church or simply reconnecting, join us for a fun night of games and food on Wednesday, April 24 at 6PM! Nancy Steenbergen will lead us in Bunco (an easy group dice-rolling game). Don’t know how to play? No problem we will teach you! To RSVP, sign up on the sheet outside the office or text Haley Stone at (616) 916-6698 by April 21. Please bring an appetizer to share!

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, or 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.

WE CONTINUE to thank God for his provision of all of our needs and the generous support of our congregation with their time, talent, and resources.

Fiscal Year 2023/24 Budget:  $530,975.70
Fiscal Year 2023/24 Contributions:  $507,325.59
Giving Last Week: $7,622.73                                                                                                                                      Mission Offering for Emma DeVries $2,136.00