Zion E-News (11-13-2019)

Last week Saturday, I had the privilege of running into Jess Shults at the training event Zion hosted for our Regional Synod. Jess is currently the pastor of Standale Reformed Church, but may be known to some off our long term members as Jess Jelsma as she is the daughter of Dan Jelsma, one of our former pastors. Jess grew up at Zion and had so many wonderful things to say about growing up at Zion.

In particular, she talked about her experience teaching Sunday school already in the 8th grade. She was grateful for the way our church encouraged her to use her gifts and lead already at a young age. She may not have been formally ordained through Zion, but she counts herself as one of daughters of our church sent into ministry. We continue to see this same spirit today in the teens and young adults leading us in worship, teaching Sunday school, and serving in our benevolent outreach ministries like the Personal Care Pantry.

I am reminded often lately of a conversation I had over as decade ago now with a Deacon about how Zion was a levitical church (the Levites were the ones entrusted with caring for the temple of God in the Old Testament). We have certainly been a church to raise up and train pastors. But more and more, I am reminded that as New Testament people, we are all Levites, or more aptly, we are all priests in God’s kingdom. We are all called too meet the needs of our community, to comfort the hurt and broken, to strengthen the weak, to feed the hungry, to visit the imprisoned, and the proclaim the good news to rich and poor alike.

Frequently, I walked by all the pictures in our lobby of former pastors and the ministers we have sent and I pray for them. Some of my prayers are thanks for lives well lived for God, others for perseverance as they continue to run the race. But more and more, I think we need pictures of every person who has ever attended our church, and certainly every one who currently attends, because we are all called and sent by our God to be his ambassadors.

As your pastor, I am proud of the many pastors we have raised and trained at Zion, but even more I am proud of the doctors and nurses, the engineers and accountants, the mechanics and electricians, the teachers and social workers, the stay-at-home parents and the engaged grandparents, and so many more who live as ministers of the gospel of Jesus right where God has put them. May God bless you all in your ministry.

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. While we can worry we have missed God’s plan at times, Jesus continually invites back to the ways of God.

Wondering how to start your thanksgiving day? Join us in a few weeks on Thanksgiving morning at 9:30 for our annual thanksgiving service. We will pray, share our reasons to give thanks, and reflect on Paul’s command to rejoice in the Lord always.

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 week, our Sunday School students will have a “Say It Day” where they get a prize for saying their Bible verse. Due to the Christmas Program Practice following church, students who are not in the Christmas program can meet Pastor Greg in the chapel to say their verse. Those who are attending the practice will be able to say their verse to Pastor Greg following the practice. The memory verse is Lamentations 3:22-23.

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.’

Serve the World
This year our Thanksgiving offering will support Good News Nepal, Forgotten Man Ministries for their folding machine, and the deacons will be shopping for local shopping for families for Christmas gifts. We encourage you to give generously and prayerfully both to the Thanksgiving offering and our general fund.

Please continue to pray for City Chapel as they reach the community of downtown Grand Rapids. They are currently looking for a new space in which to worship as the rent at City Flats Hotel has continued to rise. If you know of any possible leads, please contact Pastor Greg or Pastor Ron Radcliffe from City Chapel.

Administrative Details
Our next Leaders Meeting will be this Sunday, 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. Thank you to Rachel Verbrugge for making supper and all those helping watch kids during our meeting.

We have recently begun accepting donations online or via text. If you are interested in supporting the ministries of Zion financially, you can do so from our website by clicking on “Give Online Now.”

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: $266,203.68
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $229,520.31