Zion E-News (10-23-2019)
This weekend, a video emerged of a panel discussion at a Christian conference. In this discussion, the men were asked to say the first thing that came to mind when given a word. When given the name Beth Moore (a hugely influential Bible teacher whose ministry is focused almost exclusively on teaching women, but every man would benefit from listening to her), one man said, “Go home” in a derisive tone and then the whole room erupted in laughter.
I have listened to the audio 3 or 4 times now and each time, I feel both sick to my stomach and deeply sad. I feel sick because no believer should mock or ridicule or speak disparagingly of another believer who is seeking to honor and follow Jesus. It is beneath the call of Jesus on our lives and is a terrible witness to a world far from God.
I feel sad because I know some of the harm this attitude and these comments have done and will do to the women and girls in our church. I am sorry. You deserve better from the body Christ than to be sidelined, belittled, or mocked because of your gender.
I was walking through our lobby this morning and passed to look at our “wall of fame,” all the pictures of former pastors and people who have been ordained through Zion. We should be proud of our legacy of raising up and sending out leaders for God’s church. It is a key part of our culture. But I wondered today how that wall would feel to my daughter when all the people on the wall look like me, and not like her. I wondered how it looks to members of our church who are Hispanic or African American. There are all sorts of ways that we subtly and unintentionally communicate to some people that they are not a genuine part of the community.
The minor controversy this week also got me thinking about all the ways women have been a blessing in my life and ministry. Three of my first four bosses at Herman Miller were Brenda VanderMeulen, Ulli Bowen, and Deb Exo. They were all very different leaders, but each was a huge encouragement to me in my 20s to follow my gifts and passions where they led.
The best seminarian preacher I have ever heard was Andrea DeWard. She preached a sermon on a text in Romans that made the text sing in your heart. Now I have the privilege of serving with her on the leadership team of our plant Lifeline Community Church.
Edie Lenz is a leader in our denomination in helping churches navigate the anxiety of change in uncertain times. We studied and laughed our way through seminary together along with Gretchen Schoon-Tanis and Kathy Barnes-Dunn.
At Zion, I have been blessed to serve with some great interns, including Chelsea Reynhout and Kara Lepley who continue to do ministry in the church. And numerous Consistory members who I dare not mention for fear of leaving one out. But we have had numerous dynamic female leaders on our Consistory. I am especially grateful for Nancy Steenbergen who served as our first female Elder and did so with so much grace and love.
On our staff, Rachel Brower is a strategic missional thinker and a great partner (I could go on here, but it might get mushy as she is a great wife and friend). Rachel Verbrugge continues to equip teen staff and build relationships with the many non-churched families who send kids to Camp Zion and is like a sponge in thinking about leadership in the church. Roxie VanderHeide is more detailed and organized in the nursery than I could ever be. And, Connie Stegeman is not only a great administrator, she comes to work with a heart for the mission of our church and as one of the best sounding boards for our other staff.
To the many women in our church, thank you for all you do for our church and the kingdom of God.
Connect to God
These days it’s easy to see life the way we want to. We can filter our images, pick the news we want to hear, and listen only to the viewpoints that agree with us. When we do that, we start to distort our view of the world. The same thing can happen to our view of God. We reshape our perception of Him into what we want to believe, or what we want to think about others. Jesus came to bring us the truth about God and His plan for us, and it doesn’t always sound like what you may think. Today we consider where Jesus wants us to spend our time.
Following worship this Sunday, you are invited to stay, enjoy some light refreshments, and learn more about our potential building project. At this event, you will be able to:
- Learn about the proposed Building Project
- View the latest drawings from our Building Committee
- Participate in a small group discussion
- Ask questions and offer your opinions and advice
If you would like to attend and have not yet signed up, please sign-up through Connie Stegeman in the office.
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 extend our sympathy to Steve, Shawn, Hayley, and Carly Landstra in the passing of their mother and grandmother Jan Erskine. Visitation is Wednesday afternoon from 4-7 pm at Matthysse-Kuiper-DeGraaf in Caledonia and the funeral will be at the same location on Thursday at 11 am.
This Friday, we will be holding a hayride and bonfire at Post Family farm from 6-8 pm for Zion attenders and their friends. We will enjoy a hayride, bonfire, hot chocolate, s’mores, a ninja course ($2 per person), and pumpkin rides for the little ones. The cost is $5 per adult and $3 per child. But, if you invite a friend who is not currently attending a church, then your family and theirs can attend for free. See you on the 25th from 6-8 at Post Family Farm.
Are you interested in joining Zion? If so, we will be holding a new members class for those interested in learning more about joining Zion on Sunday, Nov. 3 following worship. This is a great chance to learn more about Zion, its history, mission, and values, get to know some new people, and is also a requirement for joining the church.
Is the child check-in line too long? Are you feeling crowded by the check-in stations? Then check out our new child check-in station in Room 205. This station will not be staffed on Sundays, but if you are comfortable signing your child into our system without assistance, this is a great option to decrease congestion and the wait near door ‘D.’
On November 9, from 9-3 pm, we will be hosting a day of learning, listening and discussing the work of the Vision 2020 team for the Reformed Church in America. In response to ongoing tensions and dialogue around different understandings of how to properly respond to the changing cultural views of human sexuality, the Vision 2020 team was formed to imagine how our denomination can or should stay in relationship given the wide ranging views on these issues. The work of the Vision 2020 Team is to identify and explore possible scenarios, strategies, and consequences for these future options for the Reformed Church in America: (1) staying together; (2) radical reconstituting and reorganization; (3) grace-filled separation. This event is designed to help understand and process through the ramifications of the potential changes for the denomination and the local church. If you are interested in attending, you can sign-up here.
Serve the World
Sarah McAnally and Tracy Lobbes will be sharing about their experiences in Nepal during our Moment for Mission this Sunday. Tim Mekkes remains in Nepal through his work with Good News Nepal. Please keep Tim and Judy in your prayers during this season of travel.
Last week, Troy Austin shared about a new opportunity for Zion to bless our community. Earlier this fall, we were approached by Bursley Elementary asking if we would consider becoming a Kids Hope Partner with the school. As Kids Hope says, “Too many students stand just one close adult relationship away from thriving in school and in life.” Troy will be sharing a couple of different ways people at Zion can be involved in blessing the students of Bursley and giving us an update on his training as our new Kids Hope Director.
Administrative Details
Our next Leaders Meeting will be on November 17 from 5-7 pm. In addition to enjoying a meal together and meeting in ministry teams, Jon Sherrill from Fifth Reformed will be sharing with us ways to more effectively listen to God in our lives. Child care will be provided for kids from birth through 5th grade.
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: $232,928.22
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $189,424.37
Zion E-News (10-17-2019)
On Wednesday this week, the winds picked up. The waves grew big. Water crashed over the piers in South Haven, Holland, and Grand Haven. Brave people drove to the shore just to see the power and might of Lake Michigan on display. A day after the storm, the lakeshore looks a little different. No single wave changes the shape of the shoreline, but wave after wave, hour after hour, the lake changes shape.
The same is true in our spiritual lives. Sometimes we experience a moment of spiritual fervor, maybe it is a crisis or a spiritual high moment, and we see some significant growth in a short period of time. But, most of the time, spiritual growth happens not from a sudden spiritual passion, but through the daily habits of praying and reading our Bibles, the weekly habit of attending worship and giving back to God, monthly habits of serving others in his name, and so on. It is not any one time we read our Bibles that we change, but over hundreds of days of reading and praying, God’s spirit does its work in our lives. No one Sunday in church may make us suddenly spiritually mature, but year after year, the habit of worship and sitting under the word of God changes or spiritual, direction. When we live into this daily and weekly habits, the spiritual waves keep coming and God begins to reshape us more and more to live and love like Jesus.
That’s why I get so excited about people from Zion joining a Discipleship Triad and committing to reading 30 chapters of the Bible every week. No one week may change us, but week after week, the word of God does its work. That’s why I get excited when someone makes a decision to start attending church and then they make it not a sometimes practice, but an every week commitment. Something happens when we sit in God’s presence with others believers week after week. The waves start doing their work.
Parents understand this with the children when it comes to s sport or reading or simply going to school. No single day is that important, but these daily practice habits shape the minds and bodies of children. The same is true in our spiritual lives and the lives of our kids. Daily and weekly habits of scripture, prayer, and worship change and mold us into the people God has called us to be. Let’s live into these habits so God can mold and make us into the people he has called us to be.
Connect to God
These days it’s easy to see life the way we want to. We can filter our images, pick the news we want to hear, and listen only to the viewpoints that agree with us. When we do that, we start to distort our view of the world. The same thing can happen to our view of God. We reshape our perception of Him into what we want to believe, or what we want to think about others. Jesus came to bring us the truth about God and His plan for us, and it doesn’t always sound like what you may think. Today we consider if Jesus wants us to pursue happiness or something else.
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
This Sunday the High School Youth Group invites you to join them for a special time of worship where students will lead us in some of their favorite praise songs, readings and prayer. Worship begins at 5:45PM and will be held in the sanctuary.
On October 25, we will be holding a hayride and bonfire at Post Family farm from 6-8 pm for Zion attenders and their friends. We will enjoy a hayride, bonfire, hot chocolate, s’mores, a ninja course ($2 per person), and pumpkin rides for the little ones. The cost is $5 per adult and $3 per child. But, if you invite a friend who is not currently attending a church, then your family and theirs can attend for free. See you on the 25th from 6-8 at Post Family Farm.
Middle School students are invited to join Pastor Greg and Matt Eling for an opportunity to explore our faith together, by digging into some key questions about Christianity and teachings from the Bible. We will enjoy some food and pop, talk about a few chapters of scripture, and explore our faith together. This class continues this Sunday and will meet each Sunday afternoon prior to youth group from 4:30 to 5:30 in room 209. We look forward to seeing you!
Are you interested in joining Zion? If so, we will be holding a new members class for those interested in learning more about joining Zion on Sunday, Nov. 3 following worship. This is a great chance to learn more about Zion, its history, mission, and values, get to know some new people, and is also a requirement for joining the church.
Is the child check-in line too long? Are you feeling crowded by the check-in stations? Then check out our new child check-in station in Room 205. This station will not be staffed on Sundays, but if you are comfortable signing your child into our system without assistance, this is a great option to decrease congestion and the wait near door ‘D.’
On November 9, from 9-3 pm, we will be hosting a day of learning, listening and discussing the work of the Vision 2020 team for the Reformed Church in America. In response to ongoing tensions and dialogue around different understandings of how to properly respond to the changing cultural views of human sexuality, the Vision 2020 team was formed to imagine how our denomination can or should stay in relationship given the wide ranging views on these issues. The work of the Vision 2020 Team is to identify and explore possible scenarios, strategies, and consequences for these future options for the Reformed Church in America: (1) staying together; (2) radical reconstituting and reorganization; (3) grace-filled separation. This event is designed to help understand and process through the ramifications of the potential changes for the denomination and the local church. If you are interested in attending, you can sign-up here.
Serve the World
We welcome Sarah McAnally and Tracy Lobbes back to Zion after two weeks in Nepal. They will be sharing a little about their experiences next week Sunday during our Moment for Mission. Tim Mekkes remains in Nepal through his work with Good News Nepal. Please keep Tim and Judy in your prayers during this season of travel.
This Sunday, Troy Austin will be sharing a new opportunity for Zion to bless our community. Earlier this fall, we were approached by Bursley Elementary asking if we would consider becoming a Kids Hope Partner with the school. As Kids Hope says, “Too many students stand just one close adult relationship away from thriving in school and in life.” Troy will be sharing a couple of different ways people at Zion can be involved in blessing the students of Bursley and giving us an update on his training as our new Kids Hope Director.
Administrative Details
Join us on Vision Sunday as we pray and explore how we can create a building for the future – aligning our facilities with our mission to make disciples who make disciples. On Sunday, October 27, we invite you to join us after the worship service to:
- Learn about the proposed Building Project
- View the latest drawings from our Building Committee
- Participate in a small group discussion
- Ask questions and offer your opinions and advice
Our next Leaders Meeting will be on November 17 from 5-7 pm. In addition to enjoying a meal together and meeting in ministry teams, Jon Sherrill from Fifth Reformed will be sharing with us ways to more effectively listen to God in our lives. Child care will be provided for kids from birth through 5th grade.
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: $221,836.40
Fiscal Year to date contributions:$180,180.37
Zion E-News (10-10-2019)
This Sunday, we will be talking about forgiveness. For the past week and a half, my eyes have been opened to stories of grace. We saw amazing forgiveness in the brother of Botham Jean who forgave his brother’s killer. We see the ongoing pain of unforgiveness in the conflicts in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians as well as Shia and Sunni. And then, this morning, I heard about a ministry focused on giving people grace-filled second chances.
70×7 i s a Christian ministry focused on helping returning neighbors assimilate back into the community after serving time in prison. They provide life-skill training, family support, and help in job placements through partner churches and businesses.
In my conversation with Greg Chandler from their team, he told the story off Naka Sims, a returning neighbor with multiple felonies. Naka went through the 70×7 program and met an employer whom he really liked. he asked repeatedly if he could be placed with this company because he wanted to work with the owner. He pursued a job opportunity and now several years later has become a partner in the small business.
We can be captivated by stories of grace like happened in the Botham Jean case, but more often, grace looks like hard work caring for and encouraging people as they put their life back together. Today, I am thankful for the mentors and business partners of 70×7 who put in that hard work to show the gospel of Jesus to returning neighbors in need of a second chance.
Connect to God
These days it’s easy to see life the way we want to. We can filter our images, pick the news we want to hear, and listen only to the viewpoints that agree with us. When we do that, we start to distort our view of the world. The same thing can happen to our view of God. We reshape our perception of Him into what we want to believe, or what we want to think about others. Jesus came to bring us the truth about God and His plan for us, and it doesn’t always sound like what you may think. Today we consider Jesus’ teaching to forgive without exceptions.
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 extend our sympathy to Chip and Becky Harkes and their family in the passing of Becky’s mother Roxanne Bloem on Monday after an almost year long battle with cancer.. The funeral was held this afternoon at Messiah CRC.
On October 20 the High School Youth Group invites you to join them for a special time of worship where students will present some of their favorite praise songs. Worship begins at 5:45PM and will be held in the sanctuary.
On October 25, we will be holding a hayride and bonfire at Post Family farm from 6-8 pm for Zion attenders and their friends. We will enjoy a hayride, bonfire, hot chocolate, s’mores, a ninja course ($2 per person), and pumpkin rides for the little ones. The cost is $5 per adult and $3 per child. But, if you invite a friend who is not currently attending a church, then your family and theirs can attend for free. See you on the 25th from 6-8 at Post Family Farm.
Middle School students are invited to join Pastor Greg and Matt Eling for an opportunity to explore our faith together, by digging into some key questions about Christianity and teachings from the Bible. We will enjoy some food and pop, talk about a few chapters of scripture, and explore our faith together. This class begins this Sunday and will meet each Sunday afternoon prior to youth group from 4:30 to 5:30 in room 202. We look forward to seeing you!
Are you interested in joining Zion? If so, we will be holding a new members class for those interested in learning more about joining Zion on Sunday, Nov. 3 following worship. This is a great chance to learn more about Zion, its history, mission, and values, get to know some new people, and is also a requirement for joining the church.
Is the child check-in line too long? Are you feeling crowded by the check-in stations? Then check out our new child check-in station in Room 205. This station will not be staffed on Sundays, but if you are comfortable signing your child into our system without assistance, this is a great option to decrease congestion and the wait near door ‘D.’
On November 9, from 9-3 pm, we will be hosting a day of learning, listening and discussing the work of the Vision 2020 team for the Reformed Church in America. In response to ongoing tensions and dialogue around different understandings of how to properly respond to the changing cultural views of human sexuality, the Vision 2020 team was formed to imagine how our denomination can or should stay in relationship given the wide ranging views on these issues. The work of the Vision 2020 Team is to identify and explore possible scenarios, strategies, and consequences for these future options for the Reformed Church in America: (1) staying together; (2) radical reconstituting and reorganization; (3) grace-filled separation. This event is designed to help understand and process through the ramifications of the potential changes for the denomination and the local church. If you are interested in attending, you can sign-up here.
Serve the World
Sarah McAnally and Tracy Lobbes left last week for Nepal to meet with and learn more about our church planting efforts in that country through our partnership with Jibit Asha. Please join in prayer for them and their families for both safety and a fruitful time of learning and ministry. We look forward to hearing about their experiences and learnings when they return. Tim Mekkes left this week to continue his work in Nepal through Good News Nepal. Please keep Tim, Tracy, Sarah and their families in your prayers during these times of travel.
Administrative Details
Join us on Vision Sunday as we pray and explore how we can create a building for the future – aligning our facilities with our mission to make disciples who make disciples. On Sunday, October 27, we invite you to join us after the worship service to:
- Learn about the proposed Building Project
- View the latest drawings from our Building Committee
- Participate in a small group discussion
- Ask questions and offer your opinions and advice
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: $210,744.58
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $171,802.65
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ZION E-NEWS (11-14-24) 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. FOR THE next couple of months, […]