Zion E-News (6-14-2018)
On Saturday, June 9, General Synod 2018 approved Eddy Alemán as general secretary of the Reformed Church in America. The role of general secretary includes casting vision for the denomination and overseeing implementation of its mission. Speaking about his sense of call to apply for the position, he said, “Sometimes God calls us to places that we don’t want to go, but we need to say ‘yes.’”
I have known Eddy for a few years and have always been impressed by him. When Eddy was five months shy of 17, he left his home country of Nicaragua as a refugee. Nicaragua was in the midst of civil war in the 1980s, and Eddy moved to Canada before he could be drafted into military service. His older brother already lived in Toronto, and Eddy moved in with him. There, he went to school and worked as a tailor, which was his family’s business in Nicaragua. He also started attending church with his brother and soon became a Christian.
After serving in many roles in his church from Deacon to Elder to treasurer to driving vans and folding bulletins, he felt a call into ordained ministry. He served as an unofficial pastor for some time and eventually attended seminary at Western Theological Seminary, beginning his schooling just a year before I finished mine. Then he served in California leading a church planting effort in Paramount and finally joining our denominational staff a couple of years ago.
Mostly, I am in prayer for Eddy as he steps into this new role, hopeful for his leadership and also think it is pretty cool to have a Nicaraguan refugee, Canadian citizen, living in West Michigan as the head of our denomination. The church of God is more diverse than we often realize.
Connect to God
On Easter Sunday, God begins a re-creation of the world beginning with the resurrection of Jesus. While we are still waiting for this creation to be fully formed, we as Christians are called to live a Jesus shaped life so that our lives point people both to Jesus and this new world God is making. This week, we remember the God we worship is the God revealed to us by Jesus and this God is a God of love.
This Sunday, we celebrate with Kyle and Ashley VanderWall in the baptism of their daughter Eliza Grace. We also commission our Camp Zion summer staff, welcome the Week of Hope staff, and look forward to hearing from Albertha Kuiper from Wycliffe Bible Translators.
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
Barb Peterson’s heart remains out of rhythm and she asks for prayers for healing, patience, and strength.
Bev Nagelkirk fell earlier this week and broke her hip. She underwent surgery on Tuesday and continues her recovery at the hospital.
If you have been in church the last few weeks, you may have noticed the many children we continue to welcome in worship. Due to the continued growth in our children’s ministry, we will have an additional rooms for children age 3 years old through 3rd grade to attend during worship. Many volunteers have already stepped up to staff this 2nd room. If you are interested and able to care for our kids on a Sunday, you can sign up outside of room 205.
Serve the World
Mark your calendars for this summer’s Neighborhood Park Party (formerly Hoops and Hotdogs) on June 19, July 3, July 17, and July 31 from 6-7 pm. These are great evenings to connect with neighbors, let the kids get some energy out on the playground, and enjoy a hotdog!
We will once again host a party in our parking lot on the 4th of July to watch the local fireworks beginning at 8 pm on the 4th. If you are able and interested in helping with this event, please contact Troy Austin.
City Chapel will be hosting their first preview service this Sunday at 10:15 meeting at City Flats Hotel downtown. If you want to check out this new church, show some support to Ron and Anna Radcliffe, or just need an excuse to go downtown, join City Chapel this Sunday!
Administrative Details
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: $21,750.40
Fiscal Year to date contributions:$14,657.00
Open House
Camp Zion Open House
June 12, 2018 6-7pm
The Camp Zion Open House is available to all of our 2018 registered campers. Come meet our summer staff, check out our facility, practice signing in at our check in station, find your cubby and make a craft. This is a great opportunity to get out all those nervous jitters before the first day of camp. Hope to see you there.
Zion E-News (6-7-2018)
This afternoon, our denomination’s annual meeting called General Synod began at Calvin College. Over the next 5 days, delegates from across the country will be electing a new President (volunteer), appointing a new General Secretary (paid staff member who runs the denomination day-to-day), addressing myriad issues of how to do life together as the body, discussing issues ranging from human sexuality to immigration and environmental care. Having attended several times in the past, these meetings can be both inspiring and encouraging (when we celebrate global missions and new church plants) and challenging when theological and value differences become unavoidable and make working together difficult.
Matt Eling will be attending this year as an elder representative of our local body of church the Great Lakes City Classis. And, Tricia Leistra has been attending a clerk’s meeting on behalf of Classis as she is the clerk for our local body. I urge you to join me in praying for all of the delegates and church staff at Synod, and especially for Matt and Tricia, that all they may do may honor God and build up the body of Christ leading to unity, purity, and peace.
Connect to God
On Easter Sunday, God begins a re-creation of the world beginning with the resurrection of Jesus. While we are still waiting for this creation to be fully formed, we as Christians are called to live a Jesus shaped life so that our lives point people both to Jesus and this new world God is making. This week, we consider how Jesus shaped people believe what Jesus believed and live in light of eternity.
This Sunday we have the privilege of ordaining and installing Aaron Huizenga as a deacon.
There are still a few more opportunities to serve and bless the children of our church in our summer Children’s Ministry. You can sign up here.
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
On Wednesday morning next week, from 9:30 to 11:30, we will be hosting a play date at our playground. There will be a bounce house, light refreshments, and a great playground for kids. If you home with the kids or grandkids on Wednesday, come join us for a fun morning of play and community.
Tom Verbrugge, Jr. returned home after a brief hospital stay due to dehydration and a skin infection. Please continue to hold Tom and the family in your prayers as he recovers at home.
Carol Vandelin continues her recovery from knee replacement surgery and is doing well at home.
Serve the World
Mark your calendars for this summer’s Neighborhood Park Parties (formerly Hoops and Hotdogs) on June 19, July 3, July 17, and July 31 from 6-7 pm. These are great evenings to connect with neighbors, let the kids get some energy out on the playground, and enjoy a hotdog!
We will once again host a party in our parking lot on the 4th of July to watch the local fireworks beginning at 8 pm on the 4th. If you are able and interested in helping with this event, please contact Troy Austin.
City Chapel will be hosting their first preview service on Sunday, June 17 at 10:15 meeting at City Flats Hotel right downtown. If you want to heck out this new church, show some support to Ron and Anna Radcliffe, or just need an excuse to go downtown, join them in only 2 weeks!
Every year, approximately 1,000,000 young people walk away from the Christian faith. Statistically, most people decide on their faith by the age of 35. The oldest millennial is now 38 and the oldest Generation Z is 18. We are at a peak opportunity to reach and influence the next generations, but so far, we are not doing very well. If trends don’t change, over 40 million young people will leave the faith by 2050. If we can only improve our retention to that of the Gen X generation, that number would fall by 22,000,000. If you want to learn more about how to reach next generations, the opportunities available to us, and how you can be involved, check out www.greatopportunity.org.
Administrative Details
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: $10,875.20
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $7,010.00
Zion E-News (5-31-2018)
Last week Wednesday, I had the privilege of sharing some of our story at Zion with a group of other church leaders from our Region (Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky). The day was focused on creating systems to intentionally develop leaders in the church: to prepare, equip and inspire them.
In preparation for my talk, I did some research on our church over the past 12-18 months. This is what I learned. Something happened the week of Easter 2017. Since that Sunday, our Children’s Ministry (age birth through 3rd grade) has grown by 40% in 14 months. Our total attendance has grown by almost 30% weekly (but we did to get as accurate a count until this fall.) Since last September (not counting Labor Day weekend) to this May (not counting Memorial Day weekend), our average worship attendance is up by just over 11% in 9 months.
Looking back over the last 12 months, it is no wonder we were constantly scrambling and adjusting to make room for all the children in our church, changing patterns and room assignments, recruiting and equipping new leaders in Children and Worship and Sunday School. As our education year is no completely winding down, I am so thankful for the any people who stepped up, tried something new, put in extra time to develop quality Children’s programming, as well as for all the ways we have worked to welcome new people and help them get connected. We don’t do it perfectly and we have some work to do, but we certainly try.
Because in the end, church is not about numbers, financial or worship attendance, but about individuals people getting connected to God and one another and together following our Savior in serving this world God made and loves. Let us all thank God for the way he has allowed us to join Him in his redemptive work this year.
Connect to God
On Easter Sunday, God begins a re-creation of the world beginning with the resurrection of Jesus. While we are still waiting for this creation to be fully formed, we as Christians are called to live a Jesus shaped life so that our lives point people both to Jesus and this new world God is making. This week, we consider how Jesus shaped people live out of a sense of vocation, of calling from God to join in his work of redeeming the world in the particular ways God has made them.
This Sunday we have the privilege of ordaining and installing 3 of our new Elders and Deacons. Chip Harkes, Josh Sanders, and Mike Knott will all be installed this Sunday. Aaron Huizenga will be installed on the 10th. As we welcome these new members to our Consistory, we also thank God for the faithful service of Ken Cook, Tim Mekkes, Jeff VanderHeide, and Dave Geenen over the past 3 years.
There are still a few more opportunities to serve and bless the children of our church in our summer Children’s Ministry. You can sign up here.
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
Thanks to our building and grounds team for cleaning out the garage and the old Cadet room this evening. We continue to work hard to maintain our facilities and maximize our ministry space.
Serve the World
Mark your calendars for this summer’s Hoops and Hotdogs on June 19, July 3, July 17, and July 31. These are great evenings to connect with neighbors, let the kids get some energy out on the playground, and enjoy a hotdog!
City Chapel will be hosting their first preview service on Sunday, June 17 at 10:15 meeting at City Flats Hotel right downtown. If you want to heck out this new church, show some support to Ron and Anna Radcliffe, or just need an excuse to go downtown, join them in only 2 weeks!
Every year, approximately 1,000,000 young people walk away from the Christian faith. Statistically, most people decide on their faith by the age of 35. The oldest millennial is now 38 and the oldest Generation Z is 18. We are at a peak opportunity to reach and influence the next generations, but so far, we are not doing very well. If trends don’t change, over 40 million young people will leave the faith by 2050. If we can only improve our retention to that of the Gen X generation, that number would fall by 22,000,000. If you want to learn more about how to reach next generations, the opportunities available to us, and how you can be involved, check out www.greatopportunity.org.
Administrative Details
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.
Year to date budget: $551,975.32
Year to date contributions: $548,537.11
Subscribe to receive Zion’s E-News delivered straight to your inbox!
- Zion E-News 6-27-24June 27, 2024 - 1:00 pm
ZION E-NEWS (6-27-24) 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 […]
This Week’s BulletinJune 27, 2024 - 12:59 pm6-30-24 Bulletin
- This Week’s BulletinJune 20, 2024 - 10:46 am
6-23-24 Bulletin