I drove to Zion yesterday in order to let people into the building to drop off food and personal care items. I want to thank each person who came by to support others in need in our community. You are a blessing to me and our church.

I was also saddened by the sheer number of cars still out on the road even as we had been told to shelter in place. We have neighbor kids who are still playing with friends down the road. I see people posting on facebook about their latest playdate or extended family gathering. I am afraid people are still not taking the Corona virus seriously and the lack of physically distancing ourselves from one another is going to cost people’s lives.

I know some people struggle to trust the news, so I have been talking with doctor friends about the reality they are experiencing, including a geriatric doctor working in a nursing home and our own Ken Johnson and Amy Mott. Following are a few highlights of these discussions:

1. One hospital in Michigan is already so overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients that they no longer have the resources to even attempt CPR on a patient who goes into arrest.
2. In New York, in at least one hospital, they no longer have enough ventilators and now need to choose between whom to help and whom to simply not give needed health care from Covid-19.
3. Visitors are no longer allowed in the adult ICU units across all Spectrum health hospitals. As I understand this, it would even exclude a visitor at the end of life. To be very blunt, if you have a family member go to the hospital with Covid-19, you should say all your goodbyes just in case because you will not be able to see them again unless they get better.

In texting with Ken Johnson this week, he suggested our older members (60+) would be wise to set up or finalize any Advanced Care Planning wishes soon. There are resources available here, if you need them.

If you have not been taking the shelter in place orders or the social distancing directives seriously please begin to do so now. I know you may not know anyone who is sick yet. I know it can feel like an overreaction to some. I know people want to keep the economy moving. And, people’s lives are at stake. As Christians, we serve the God of life, not the god of money or the economy. You may not see the risk, but health experts do. You may not know anyone who is sick, but lots of people are and more will become sick in the next couple of weeks. Let’s do what we can to not make this situation any worse. Stay home. Watch a lot of Netflix. Read a book. Talk on the phone. Eat snacks. Wash your hands. And, stay safe.

We may not be in control at the moment, but we know our God is. May God have mercy and bring healing to all who need it in our world.

Connect to God
Joins us this Sunday for Zion worship online. You can find our service at zionreformed.online.church or from the first banner on our website at www.zionreformed.org. Worship will begin at 9:30 am. There will be an opportunity in the service to chat with people who have gathered, help choose our closing song, and also make prayer requests. We look forward to being together online on Sunday. We will finish our series on the Sermon on the Mount as we consider how to follow the narrow way of Jesus in a time such as this.

Grow in Community
We extend our sympathy to Cornie, Dawn, Mark and Cindy VanderZouwen in the passing of Thelma Vander Zouwen on Monday. Due to Covid-19, there will not be a funeral at this time, though the immediate family will gather with Pastor Rick for a graveside service on Friday.

Please be in prayer for the many people working on the front lines of caring for our community right now. Certainly we want to pray for doctors, nurses, aides and EMTs, and we also want to remember all the people still working in service industries to make sure we get fed like grocery store stockers and clerks, as well as garbage truck drivers, and all the truck drivers delivering our food. We also pray for those worried about losing their job or their business during this time. And, of course, for all those who are sick. May God make his mercy and love known at this time.

Rachel Brower is sending information out to parents and Children’s Ministry volunteers each week for at-home Sunday school. She is also holding a weekly Bible story reading time with younger kids and a on-line game time fro older students. If you would like to receive this information as well, please email Rachel and she will add you to her list.

If you have a Middle or High School student who has not attended any of the youth meetings this week via Zoom, please contact Pastor Jeremyand he can send you the appropriate links and information.

If you have never read the Bible on your own or established a pratice of daily Bible reading and prayer, now is a great time to start. I would suggest starting with the book of Philippians as Paul wrote it while under house arrest (maybe you can relate a little more this week than you could a month ago). There is also a couple of great video study of this book on RightNow Media you can access here and here. If you do not already have access to RightNow media you can sign-up here.

Serve the World
During this time of physical and economic anxiety and disruption, we want to be a blessing in our community that in us people might glimpse the love of God for them. To that end, we want to let you know how we as a church are responding and how you can be involved:
1. We will continue running Hand2Hand and the Personal Care pantry to ensure the people we had been helping before this crisis continue to receive help.
2. We will the accepting donations of Personal Care items and food on Wednesdays from 1-3 pm at church. These donations will one used to assist both H2H and the Personal Care Pantry as well as being available to our members who may need some extra help during this time and for you to share with your neighbors and friends who may need help. Any excess donations will be brought to Love, INC or Sunrise Ministries to support their work in Eastern Ottawa county.
3. We are creating a list of people who are willing to pick up groceries or medicines for those who are quarantined or need to stay isolated because they are at particular risk. You can sign-up to be a driver/shopper through this google form.

If you need help, either with food, personal care items, help grocery shopping, or with financial needs, please contact Shanda VandePol our chair of deacons and she can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. Her e-mail is shandavandepol@yahoo.com and her phone number is 616) 308-0700.

Planning is underway for another great summer at Camp Zion. If you are a high school interested in serving on staff, applications are due Sunday March 29 and can be found here. Please keep Camp Zion, our staff, and the kids who will be attending in your prayers as we prepare for the summer. We are still planning on holding Camp Zion, but will adjust as needed depending on any changes to local school schedules.

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. We are especially grateful this week for all those who have adjusted their means of giving to give online, through the mail, and via text. Zion’s members continue to strongly support the ministries of Zion during this time of uncertainty.

Fiscal Year to date budget: $476,948.26
Fiscal Year to date contributions: $454,293.38

Dear Zion Family,

The last week or so has been a bit of a whirlwind with school closings, restaurant closings, and growing anxiety in our society over the Covid-19 virus. In the midst of these concerns, I am reminded of Paul’s words to the church in Rome, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (8:28)” While we do not know what will happen today or tomorrow, we can trust that even in these trials, our God is still at work for the good of his people. We may feel surprised by the events of the past few days, but we know our God is not and he is still in control.

As we are being forced to learn new ways of operating as a church, I wonder what God is doing among us. Rather than being a hindrance to being church, this time may drive us to find creative ways to connect with and care for one another. We may learn new ways to communicate the hope we have in Christ. People afraid of the future may turn back to our God and we want to be ready to give them the reason for the hope we have found in Christ. Even now, we know our God and his kingdom are on the move.

Some of you may be wondering what will happen on Sunday mornings. We are planning on streaming our worship service on Sundays at 9:30 am until we are given permission to meet as a gathered body. You can access this service either through the banner at the top of our website at www.zionreformed.org or go directly to zionreformed.online.church to view the livestream. This week, we are planning to include some interactive portions allowing people to choose a song or two and also share prayer requests to be included in our congregational prayer.

We will also hold youth group on Sunday nights, though they will now be meeting online. Jeremy Zoet is working hard to plan an engaging event for the students and leaders. Rachel Brower will also continue offering resources for parents to hold Sunday school for the children at home. In addition, we are beginning to offer several opportunities to connect online via video conferencing. Those events will be shared in our weekly E-news and on our facebook page.

As a people who know our future is held by God, we are uniquely prepared to enter this season not from a place of fear and anxiety, but with our eyes opened to the possibility of God doing something new among us. We are now surrounded by opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community. You may be able to help neighbors who need groceries or someone to pick up medicine for them. A phone call can have a huge impact on the day of someone who lives alone. Cards sent to those in nursing homes can brighten the day. We have each been called to this time to love in Jesus’ name. Let’s commit to look for ways to demonstrate the presence of God even in this time.

The simplest and best way to love our neighbors right now is to stay home. Mortality rates for people over 80 who contract the disease could be as high as 40%. Even if you are healthy and young, you should stay home to avoid accidentally spreading the virus to those whose bodies cannot as easily fight it off. As Christians, we do this not because someone told us to stay home, but because our love for our neighbors compels us to sacrifice our personal freedom to keep them safe.

In addition to our individual acts of love, our ministries like Hand2Hand and the Personal Care Pantry will be even more important going forward. We have already been in conversation with both Jenison and Grandville Public Schools. As more information regarding their needs becomes available we will share it with you. Following are a few ways we can help our community at this time:

1. Donations of personal Care Items are being collected by Sunrise Ministries on 28th Street in Jenison.
2. Donations of food are being collected by Love, Inc to be distributed through the schools to those in need.
3. Love, Inc. is in particular need of volunteers as they have sent home all of their volunteers 60+ because they are at the greatest risk to Covid-19.

If you or your family are in need of help, please contact any of our staff and we will connect you with the deacons and any other available supports.

A few people have asked what all of this means for our Capital Campaign. The Capital Campaign is on hold for the foreseeable future. For now, we want to focus as a church on caring for one another, staying connected, and demonstrating the love of Christ to our neighbors. Eventually, this time will pass, we will gather to celebrate all the ways God has blessed and been with us in this anxious time, and then our Consistory will reconsider if or when to restart the campaign. As always, people matter more than buildings or programs at Zion and our focus remains caring for one another, worshipping our God, and helping our neighbors meet the God who loves them.

We will not be meeting physically together for several weeks in a row, but we still have expenses to cover such as support for missionaries, funding our benevolent ministries, ongoing costs of our building and paying our staff. Please be in prayer for our Consistory as they care for not only the people of our church, but also our finances. If you are able to continue to give to Zion, please do so. You can give by mailing a check, giving on-line at our website, or contacting the office to sign-up for electronic giving.

Remember, our God is in control and we can trust in him.

Pastor Greg

on behalf of the Consistory