Zion E-News (1-30-2020)

/in /by

On Sunday morning, former basketball player, Kobe Bryant and 8 other people died in a helicopter accident. He and his daughter Gianna were on their way to a youth basketball game after attending Mass earlier in the morning. According to his Bishop, Kobe was a faithful attender at Mass, but sat way in the back because he did not want to distract people from Christ by the presence of a celebrity in Mass.

I came across another story of his life on Twitter told by a doctor in Phoenix who met Kobe when a child, also named Kobe, dying from heart failure asked for a basketball signed by Bryant. Rather then signing the ball, he snuck into the hospital (apparently he often made these types of visits, but wouldn’t let any public relations or media people come along) and spent an hour hanging out with this boy, shooting hoops, signing lots of different things, and simply talking with the boy. As he left, he asked if money was holding back the kids treatment and if so he could pay for it. But it wasn’t a money issue and there was nothing anyone could do. The young boy died a week later and his mom said that hour was the happiest moments of his life and were some of her few pictures of him smiling.

As a huge fan of the NBA, I find myself grieving someone I did not know this week. I am not the only one. Working out on Tuesday, I avoided all political news on the TVs by simply changing the channel to whatever station was discussing Kobe. There was always at least one channel discussing his passing.

As many sing his praises this week, I am also reminded of a darker side of his life. Of a resort in Eagle, CO. A young woman. And charges of rape. And I grieve for the many people whose wounds are reopened this week as someone credibly charged with sexual assault is lauded as a hero. They must wonder if these crimes will ever be taken seriously. If their pain will ever matter to others.

Kobe’s life is a complicated one. Charged with assault, but later in life a strong advocate for women. A ruthless competitor, but also compassionate to the suffering of others. He was a ball hog and a shooter without conscience on the court and seemed selfish, but he also mentored many younger players and helped them develop their skills.

In the end, he is just a person like you and me. Filled with contradictions. Both good and bad. Holding high ideals and often falling short. A blessing in the lives of some, but wounding others along the way. We all need a lot of grace in our lives.

I have two primary thoughts throughout this week. First, I have hope because Kobe was apparently a believer and follower of Jesus, however imperfectly he may have followed, and we know as followers of Jesus that death does not get the last word and God will speak and the dead will be raised with imperishable bodies like Jesus was on Easter Sunday.

Second, I am reminded we do not know how long we have in this life. Some get 80 or 90 or even 100 years, but others only get 41 or 25 or 13 or even less. Use your days well. And invest these days preparing for and inviting others into the eternity with God that will endure for all time.

Connect to God
Zion is a place where our youth are encouraged to serve regularly in important ways, in leadership roles, throughout our church and in worship services. But today, our youth ministry is getting even more involved in leading worship. Our high school and middle school youth groups created this worship service from the concept of intergenerational ministry. They chose songs to relate to all ages, involved multiple generations and generational concepts in their skits, created and edited videos on their own, built and decorated a sermon response, and created intrigue by posting multigenerational pictures throughout the hallways. Today we look Psalm 78:1-8 together and wonder how we can do our best to pass on the faith to the next generation.

Please note, due to the Youth Service, we will not have Sunday School this week for 4th and 5th graders so they can be participate in the entire service.

Next week Sunday, February 9, we will formally kickoff our capital campaign: Building Up, Reaching Out. We will share time lines for various events of the campaign, introduce the leaders of the campaign, share some of our values shaping the campaign, and let you know how you can be involved.

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
For the past two years, we have been holding 729 groups as a way to get to know more people in the congregation. These groups commit to meet together for a meal once a month for three months. It is a great way to get to know some new people in church. I have heard numerous people tell me how much they have enjoyed getting to know people in their group. If you are looking to make some new connections over the winter, new to Zion, or wondering who some of these new people are, sign-up through the Connection Card this Sunday for our next round of 729 Groups.

Serve the World
On Tuesday this week, I met with the principal and several staff of West Elementary. We were meeting to talk about how we could effectively partner with them through Camp Zion over the summer. They were excited to see how they could help us target our support to the kids who most need the help over the summer. As the conversation continued,I shared a little about Hand2Hand and the Personal Care Pantry. The social worker in particular was very grateful for the faithful support our Hand2Hand team has been to so many students in the school. And  they wondered how they could connect some families with our Personal Care Pantry. God is bring praised in our community because of your generous service.

Due to the in-climate weather on the 11th, we postponed the Zion Mini-golf event until February 1 from 12-3. This is both a great opportunity to casually connect with friends from Zion and also invite any unchurched friends to a family friendly event at church. We look forward to seeing you on the this Saturday!

Administrative Details
Our next Leaders Meeting will be Sunday, March 1 from 5-7 pm. We will enjoy a meal together, meeting in ministry teams, and have some other training. Child care will be provided for kids from birth through 5th grade. You can sign-up through the Connection Cards on Sunday.

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: $388,213.70
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $380,403.46

This Week’s Bulletin

/in /by

2-2-20 Bulletin

Matthew 4:12-25

/in /by

Text: Matthew 4:12-25
Title: Getting on the Way of Jesus
Preacher: Rev. Greg Brower

As we continue our study of the gospel according to Matthew, Jesus begins his public ministry on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He comes proclaiming a simple message of repentance. Like in our own day, many people then were willing to compromise the commands of God or mixed their religion with the politics to some disastrous ends. Jesus calls them and us instead to repent of their old ways of living and begin instead to live in his way.

Zion E-News (1-23-2020)

/in /by

Earlier this week, my younger sister Jaclyn posted on social media about her son Dawit. Dawit is a delightful, energetic, funny little boy who has been through a lot. He was adopted as a baby from Ethiopia and deals with the impacts of early childhood trauma, including a struggle to trust other people to truly be there for him. With that context in mind, follow is my sister’s post:

I tell Dawit so often that he can trust me. I got it. He can relax. He can trust me that I will drive the car safely. He can trust me that I will buy food he likes. He can trust me to always come back when I am away from his sight. He can trust me that I will always love him, even when he does things that hurt me or others in our family. He can trust me that I am his Mommy FOREVER and nothing he can do will change that. I’m not going anywhere.

Just like my adopted son can trust me, I can #trust God. God adopted me as HIS daughter. God’s got it. I can trust Him to keep me safe. I can trust Him to provide for my needs. I can trust that God is there loving me, even when I cannot see Him or feel His #Presence. I can trust Him that He will always love me, even when I do things that hurt. I can trust that He is my Heavenly Father #forever and that will never change. He is not going anywhere. 

There is something so unique about #adoption and how it relates/compares to my relationship with my adopted Heavenly Father.

I don’t know what you may be going through this week. You may have sick kids. You may be facing a cancer diagnosis in your life or the life of someone you love. Memories may be fading for you, a spouse, or a parent. Your job may be tenuous or undergoing big changes. I don’t know, but God does. And, you can trust God to be with you in the midst of your struggles. He has got you and he won’t let go.

Connect to God
As we continue our study of the gospel according to Matthew, Jesus begins his public ministry on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He comes proclaiming a simple message of repentance. Like in our own day, many people then were willing to compromise the commands of God or mixed their religion with the politics to some disastrous ends. Jesus calls them and us instead to repent of their old ways of living and begin instead to live in his way.

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
For the past two years, we have been holding 729 groups as a way to get to know more people in the congregation. These groups commit to meet together for a meal once a month for three months. It is a great way to get to know some new people in church. I have heard numerous people tell me how much they have enjoyed getting to know people in their group. If you are looking to make some new connections over the winter, new to Zion, or wondering who some of these new people are, sign-up through the Connection Card this Sunday for our next round of 729 Groups.

Serve the World
A quick story from City Chapel, our downtown church plant. About a year ago, Ron and Anna Radcliffe met with a former staff member at a large mega-church here in town. he had been burned and abused by the church and had not been back for 10 years. But, he gave City Chapel a try because he liked Ron. A year later, he is in church almost every week. Last week, m his daughter was sick and so they stayed home and she missed the children’s ministries. When she found out the church met without them, she was really sad because she loves going to church. Telling the story, her dad commented that he never thought he could trust a church again, but he has found a spiritual home at City Chapel. Your prayer and financial support of this ministry is making eternal impact in people’s lives.

Due to the in-climate weather on the 11th, we postponed the Zion Mini-golf event until February 1 from 12-3. This is both a great opportunity to casually connect with friends from Zion and also invite any unchurched friends to a family friendly event at church. We look forward to seeing you on the 1st!

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: $377,121.88
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $363,007.72

This Week’s Bulletin

/in /by

1-26-20 Bulletin

Matthew 4:1-11 ~ Passing the Test

/in /by

Text: Matthew 4:1-11
Title: Passing the Test
Preacher: Rev. Greg Brower

Life is full of tests. Driving tests when we turn 16. End of the semester tests in school. But there are also the less predictable tests: losing a job, health concerns, relationship challenges and so on. Every day, we all face tests of our will, our values, our habits that reveal who we have become. Sadly, we all fail these tests some of the time. So did the Israelites in the Old Testament. They failed to live God honoring lives. They failed to worship God alone. The disciples failed to understand Jesus’ teachings. They failed to stay loyal when he was arrested. We all fail sometimes. Thankfully, as Jesus reveals during his testing in the desert, though we may fail the test, Jesus has passed every test for us.

This Week’s Bulletin

/in /by

1-19-20 Bulletin

Zion E-News (1-16-2020)

/in /by

Earlier this week, I was talking with a friend about life and they mentioned one of the lies they have believed for years that they were working on training their mind to unlearn. For years, they had felt as if they were not worthy. Other people could be loved by God. Other people could be used by God. But they were not worthy.

This got me thinking about other lies we can sometimes tell ourselves about us and our relationships with God:
1. I am not enough.
2. I need to do more.
3. My past defines my future.
4. I don’t know enough.
5. I’m not talented enough.

As I was talking with my friend, I kept thinking of Romans 5:8 which says:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Think for just a moment what this verse means. While you were at your lowest, while you were worn out, while you were feeling like a failure, while you were doing what you are doing right now, God loves you. God does not demand we get out lives together before he will love us. God does not require us to clear some sort of bar of spiritual maturity before we can use us. God does not need you to do anything before he can delight in you. While we were sinners, right this very moment and every moment before and after, God loves you.

Does God want us to stay trapped in sin, caught in unhealthy patterns of behavior? Of course not! He wants the best for the people he loves. He wants us to be free to live and love the wya Jesus did. But, God loves us and we are enough for him just as we are already now.

Connect to God
Life is full of tests. Driving tests when we turn 16. End of the semester tests in school. But there are also the less predictable tests: losing a job, health concerns, relationship challenges and so on. Every day, we all face tests of our will, our values, our habits that reveal who we have become. Sadly, we all fail these tests some of the time. So did the Israelites in the Old Testament. They failed to live God honoring lives. They failed to worship God alone. The disciples failed to understand Jesus’ teachings. They failed to stay loyal when he was arrested. We all fail sometimes. Thankfully, as Jesus reveals during his testing in the desert, though we may fail the test, Jesus has passed every test for us.

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
Brooklyn Friar is continuing where recovery from RSV, the flu, and pneumonia. The breathing tube has been removed and she continues to gain strength each day. Parker Bremer also remains in the hospital as he keeps on gaining weight and growing after being born 8 weeks premature. Please keep both those young children and their families in your prayers.

Serve the World
Last week Sunday, we commission Sarah McAnally as a Leadership Resident serving Wayland Harbor, a new church plant from the Harbor Church Network. As Sarah said on Sunday, she and her family remain committed to Zion and will continue worshipping with us as she grows in her ministry leadership skills and learns more about church planting. Please keep both Sarah, her family, and Wayland Harbor in your prayers.

Due to the in-climate weather last week, we had to postpone the Zion Mini-golf event until February 1 from 12-3. This is both a great opportunity to casually connect with friends from Zion and also invite any unchurched friends to a family friendly event at church. We look forward to seeing you on the 1st!

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: $366,030.06
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $353,659.72

Matthew 3:13-17 ~ Unmet Expectations

/in /by

Text: Matthew 3:13-17
Title: Unmet Expectations
Preacher: Rev. Greg Brower

Have you ever waited for a new movie to come out only to be disappointed when you finally get to see the movie? Or, picked up a book by your favorite author only to discover this book is a spy novel and not a romantic story or vice versa? Or more seriously, started a new job that did not live up to the company’s sales pitch? We all have times in life when something we have anticipated does not quite match up to our expectations. The same is true for John the Baptist who came to prepare the way for the Messiah to bring God’s judgment and wrath, but then Jesus came humbling preaching about grace and restoration. John had to adjust his expectations to match the reality of God. We all do. This morning we meet Jesus at the Jordan River as he comes to be baptized among a sea of sinful humanity.

Zion E-News (1-9-2020)

/in /by

Over the last week, tensions have been high between the United States and Iran. Many people are anxious wondering what might happen next. Some are drawing lines and taking sides, calling those who disagree un-American and such. Like many of you, I am not an expert on Middle East politics and their many conflicts, nor am I an expert on military tactics and strategies. So, I have been doing a lot of listening to simply understand. I am listening to our missionaries in the Middle East, aid workers on the ground, our military leaders and our President. It is better to listen and seek to understand than to speak in haste and simply add to the confusion and divisions some try to exploit in our country.

And, as your pastor, it is my responsibility to help all of us think about and engage our world from a Christian perspective. The church has thought about war and violence and the proper Christian response for over 2,000 years. Seeing the growing desire for armed revolt in his day, Jesus urged his followers to turn the other cheek and to love their enemies. Listening to these commands of Jesus, most of the early church took a stance of non-violent pacifism. They would defy governing authorities when their commands violated the commands of God, but they did not engage in violence.

As time went on and Christianity became not only more acceptable in the Roman Empire, but also more influential in the Empire, the church thought deeply about the role of violence in maintaining the peace within the Empire and in defending the Empire from attack. Recognizing the role of government in defending the country and the peace in Romans 13, they developed what has become known as the “Just War” theory.

Originally developed by Augustine and reaching its final form in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Just War theory establishes several criteria for when to go to war and how to go to war. Following are my summary of these principles:

  1. There must be a just cause to go to war, such as self defense or defending the innocent or preventing genocide.
  2. The war must prevent more harm and suffering than the war will cause. It must be proportionate to the evil it is confronting. As a silly example, if someone shoots you with a spitwad, you should not shoot back with a .45. The response is not proportionate to the harm done by the spitwad.
  3. The motives for going to war need to be in alignment with the Christian command to love. We cannot go to war for personal, nationalistic or politic ends.
  4. Only proper authorities can go to war. The Congress can declare war against Canada as one example, but the governor of Michigan or the president of a condo association cannot.
  5. There has to be a reasonable chance of the war leading to eventual peace. If there is no hope of bringing peace through the war then the war is not just.
  6. Finally, all other options must be exhausted before choosing violence. Diplomatic negotiations, economic pressures, and so forth must be exhausted before choosing to go to war.
  7. Once a war has begun Just War theory provides two primary limits in war: harm to non-combatants must be avoided whenever possible and can never be the intention of an act and the likely harm to non-combatants must be proportionate to the military gain.

Of course, even when people try to follow these principles, debates still remain. As an example, one long standing debate has been focused on the rightness of dropping the two atomic bombs on Japan to end WW2. Was it worth killing hundreds of thousands of civilians to protect the lives of thousands of soldiers? Seventy years later there is still some debate. War creates many difficult ethical issues for us as Christians that are not easily resolved. Ultimately, we all rest on the grace of our God as we do our best to be faithful to Christ in a dangerous and messy world.

There is one thing we can do and one thing we should not do to be faithful in this messy world. First, we should never celebrate the death of an image bearer of God. We must let the gospel that God so loved the world shape how we think about and treat the people God loves. All people, even our enemies, are loved by God and he grieves all death. So should we.

Ands secondly, we should all be praying for peace, for protection for all those affected by war, especially non-combatants (civilians) caught in the crossfire of a war they did not choose, in addition to praying for those serving in our nation’s military.

Connect to God
Have you ever waited for a new movie to come out only to be disappointed when you finally get to see the movie? Or, picked up a book by your favorite author only to discover this book is a spy novel and not a romantic story or vice versa? Or more seriously, started a new job that did not live up to the company’s sales pitch? We all have times in life when something we have anticipated does not quite match up to our expectations. The same is true for John the Baptist who came to prepare the way for the Messiah to bring God’s judgment and wrath, but then Jesus came humbling preaching about grace and restoration. John had to adjust his expectations to match the reality of God. We all do. This morning we meet Jesus at the Jordan River as he comes to be baptized among a sea of sinful humanity.

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
Ruth Kuipers went to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday, January 6. Ruth was a charter member of Zion. Visitation will be held at Cook Funeral Home in Grandville at 3:00PM on Friday, January 10 followed by the funeral service at 4:00PM. Please pray for peace and comfort for her family during this difficult time.

A Memorial Service for Jackie Kolkman, also a charter member, will be held at Sunset Manor on February 29 at 10:00AM.

This week Sunday, our Middle School class will meet again from 4:30 to 5:30. As a reminder, there will be food, pop, and some great discussions about God and life. If you have a Middle Schooler, we would love to see them!

Serve the World
Jibit Asha sent a year end update on their ministries in Nepal recently, following are some highlights and a couple of prayer requests:

  1. Each of our church planters shared the gospel through Christmas celebration. Many of them did open-air outreach. More than 1000 people heard the Gospel directly.
  2. Some of our church planters are under the police radar due to their aggressive outreach and Gospel sharing.
  3. People are receiving Christ and coming to faith regularly. Around 10 people have received Christ, four have taken baptism, more are ready for the baptism. This all took place last month.
  4. Planters are reaching out new places and starting new fellowships. At least 3 new fellowship has started due to outreach. New fellowships are in need of spaces to meet.
  5. Extreme cold in Nepal has made life hard in many parts of the country. Remember for the planters’ good and safe health. Help is needed to provide basic warm blankets for these poor people.

Together, we are making a difference in our community in the name of Jesus. Thank you.

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: $354,938.24
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $338,379.72