ZION E-NEWS (8-31-23)

The start of a new school year signals to me that church activities are about to ramp up as well. Typically, you are asked if you are willing to serve again in one area or another, or maybe you are being asked to serve somewhere for the first time. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, and your first instinct may be to say no.  But I encourage you to look at it another way.

A friend passed along something she had read by Michael Carl and it really resonated with me. It was this “reminder”:

“As church attendance numbers fade across the nation and online services become very convenient it’s important to remember why church attendance for you and your family matters so much.

You can’t serve from your sofa. You can’t have community of faith from your sofa. You can’t experience the power of a room full of believers worshipping together on your sofa. Christians aren’t consumers. We are contributors. We don’t watch. We engage. We give. We sacrifice. We encourage. We pray by laying hands on the hurting.  We do life together.  The church needs you.  And you need the church.”

I don’t share this to guilt anyone or make them feel bad as I’m one to utilize online church as well- online church has its place and can certainly serve those that aren’t able to make it in person for several reasons. But when we get back to our school and church schedules, I’m reminded of how good it feels to have so much energy back in our church on Sundays. To look around and see familiar faces that you may have missed over summer. They are familiar faces to share life’s joys and challenges, praying with and for one another and supporting each other in various ways. Along with church attendance comes our commitment to serve the church and its members as well.
I hope to challenge you to serve somewhere you haven’t before or talk to someone that currently serves in an area that you may be interested in. In the process you can become connected to some amazing people that you may not have had the chance to get to know otherwise.

-Michelle Holzgen

CONNECT TO GOD
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.

ZION KIDS has switched over to our summer programming.Through Sept 3, we will hold one combined class each week for kids ages 3yrs old through 3rd grade.  We will sing songs, watch a Bible story video, pray together and have some playtime while service is happening in the sanctuary.  Children should check in at the child check in station each week as usual.

ZION YOUTH GROUP Kick-Off Party:  On Sunday, September 10 we will kick off the year with a joint Middle School (6-8th grade) and High School (9-12 grade) party at BAM!  in Holland. There will be bowling, laser tag and pizza! We will leave from Zion at 11:30am and return to Zion at 3:00pm. This event is free! Prior to the kick-off party please fill out a Release/Registration Form for each child attending youth group by clicking here.

Regular Weekly youth group meetings start September 17.
High School Youth(9-12 grade) meet from 4:00 – 5:30 pm.
Middle School Youth (6-8th grade) meet from 5:45 – 7:15 pm.

GROW IN COMMUNITY
PRAY FOR Merle Ezinga as he continues to recovers and undergoes rehab at Health Bridges for injuries sustained from fall. Pray for Jim Overweg as he begins radiation treatments after Labor Day. Continue to pray for those in our congregation who deal with ongoing health issues. 

DO YOU like to bake? We are looking for volunteers to make (or purchase) cookies to serve at coffee time after worship. If you would be willing to provide cookies occasionally please call or text Dianne Kooiker at 616-538-3179.

TWO CAMPING SPOTS have opened up for Zion’s family camping weekend (September 22-24) at Dunes Harbor. This happens to be their Harvest weekend so there will be some special events like a campground wide Trunk or Treat, tractor wagon ides, archery, hatchets, scavenger hunt, worship in the pavilion, evening movie, plus more.  If you are interested contact Pastor Rick or Jonell.
If you are interested contact Pastor Rick or Jonell.

ALL BUILDING AND GROUNDS issues or concerns should be directed to Troy Austin. You can reach him via email at troymaustin@gmail.com or call or text him at (616) 914-0141.

NURSERY COORDINATOR: Becky Harkes has resigned from her position as Nursery Coordinator. We are looking to fill that position. If you are interested in this position you can view the job description here. If you have questions or would like to know more, please contact Shanda VandePol (our P&A chair), at: shandavandepol@yahoo.com or at 616-308-0700.

SERVE THE WORLD
A HUGE THANK YOU for your donations of toothbrushes and toothpaste! We collected 838 toothbrushes and 453 tubes of toothpaste! These will be given to all of our Personal Care Pantry, Hand2Hand, and Threads participants in September. Thank you for your generous support!

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, help grocery shopping, or with 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.

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.

Fiscal Year 2023/24 Budget:  $150,058.35
Fiscal Year 2023/24 Contributions: $118,659.35
Giving Last Week: $6,309.95