Family Ties - December 2008

December Birthdays

6	David Rosel
11	Milt Bos
12	J.D. Anderson Tammy VanDoorn
13	Lynne Bennink
14	Lisa Kingma
17	Randy Cheadle Ray Tibbe
18	Cameron Berg Terry Maycroft

20	Paul Spoelman
21	Lois Adema Dan Van Houten
30	Marty Richardson

Pastor's Page
PREGNANT
     I often run through many thoughts and emotions around the holidays. Even before Halloween had its day, the stores had Christmas stuff hitting the shelves and our mailbox has been filled with catalogues. I like to enjoy my Thanksgiving without having to be bombarded with Christmas ads.
     There is also the sentimental side of the holidays that I experience. The remembrances of the fun and joy of Thanksgivings and Christmases past flood my mind and I hope that I can experience it again. But it is thoughts and emotions of a different sort that occupy me today.
     I wonder what it was like for Mary and Joseph. There were certainly the social and cultural struggles that they endured. I'm sure many tears were shed from others' words. Emotionally, it had to be hard. I also imagine that much time was spent wondering what the future would be like. A child is going to be born. What will he look like? What kind of interests will he have? Who will his friends be? Will he finish at the top of his class?
     Parents tend to have hopes and dreams for their children. Pregnancy is a time of wonder and worry. And it is a time of hope.
     As a congregation, we enter into this season of Advent with emotions of our own. We have recently completed our first Consecration Sunday. And the sense I have is that we are filled with hope and anticipation. What will God accomplish in our midst in the days, weeks and years to come? Perhaps, like a parent has certain aspirations for a child, we have things we would like to see Church of the Saviour accomplish. I know I do. Can we make these aspirations more than just a dream?
     God took a risk with us. God has entrusted a great gift to us. Can we now risk ourselves and perhaps make a sacrifice or two so that the hopes and dreams God has for us and the hopes and dreams we hold will come to fruition?
     Take time to wonder this season. Wonder at the marvelous things God has done. Wonder at the miracle of God’s gift to us in the Christ Child. And wonder about the possibilities for our life and ministry.

~~ Elder's Corner ~~
by Glenn Veeneman

Read the instructions!

     Each Christmas holds the guarantee of a dread activity for some of us. Assembling kids' toys, getting new electronic gizmos to function, the simple procedures vital to activate the gifts of the season, can be stress and anxiety-filled for those who can’t (okay, won’t) read the instructions first.
     This fall was the eighth year owning my current vehicle, a Chevy Impala. Now, this car isn’t a high tech marvel and certainly wasn’t back in 2000, but if I would have read the instructions in the owner’s manual I could have enjoyed the car much more. On a trip this fall, out of sheer boredom, I began to play with the little buttons and knobs by the radio. By a certain combination I got the radio to search out my favorite type of station (currently country, for the curious) without having to do a “seek” to each station, listen for a while, then either tune in or advance to the next one. This, to me, was almost like winning a small lottery. My memory was jogged, I thought back to when I first took delivery of the car, looking through that owner’s manual just overwhelmed me, so I decided to try things on my own. I could read through the manual “when I got time.” Because they are sometimes hard to follow, if I go it on my own, now and then I can get things solved without even looking at the instructions. Impatience is one of my strong suits, and if possible, by omitting an important detail it saves me a minute or two of unwanted drudgery, hey, why not? It has worked before, why not this time, as well. Deep down I realize this practice of slacking isn’t really the best way to function, but the alternative just seems unbearable. If I could only get someone else to read the instructions, decipher the difficult parts and then summarize it all, wouldn’t that be the perfect solution?
     By most measures, the most important instruction book we have is slid underneath the pews in church. If you look at it like I do, the chore of reading and decoding its messages can be a reason to avoid it, at least until we get caught up with all of our other day to day tasks. I am sure that will happen, won’t it?
     Thinking about this, I realized the solutions are available and handed to us already. That most comprehensive (and important) instruction manual we have been given is generally available, can be read at our leisure, and if we are not sure of any particular message it holds, we do have Pastor Dave available as an expert analyst. When our lives are overwhelmingly hectic, survival is our first instinct and we tend to “go it alone” until the perfect time arrives (or maybe the planets align). When we have absolutely nothing else to do, that’s when we will get it done! Just wait a while and, like finally discovering the secret to my car radio, we can leave it to chance or we can get the instructions explained correctly before it may be too late.
     I thought later, what if I might have sold this car and never learned this valuable secret? What a waste that would be, having something just sitting there, able to change my life for better, and never even realizing it.
     You can see where this is heading. Are we too bound up in the process of life to see that the answers are all readily available? We just need to take the time, read a little, maybe ask for some guidance. So put on those reading glasses and have another look. You may find some great instructions!

~~ Deacon's Corner ~~
~by Kyle McClellan~

Listen Up!

     A few years ago my buddies and I headed out to the Black Hills of Wyoming in search of the elusive whitetail deer and an adventure. Thousands of square miles of God's country, and we couldn't wait to hike in as far away from the roads as possible. On the drive out I had something weighing on my mind. Rachael had been dropping subtle little clues to me that she wanted to have a baby. Like saying, “I want a baby!” and “When are we going to have a baby?” Then the furniture started showing up in the basement seemingly out of nowhere. “Just in case” or “It was so cheap I had to buy it” were some of the excuses I heard when I asked, “What's this stuff?” The thought gave me a great deal of stress and, yes, possibly even some gray hairs. Was I really ready to be a dad? I won't lie, the thought scared me more than the mountain lions roaming the hills we were about to hunt.

     Soon we were there, the landscape was awesome, pine trees covered the hills and signs of wildlife were all around. Elk tracks covered the trails and coyotes howled at night. Devil’s Tower was visible from the highest hill; it was quite a sight to take in. I hunted hard staying out all day; it was too far of a walk to go in for lunch. I was eating lunch on the fourth day of the trip, which consisted of an MRE (Army food) and a view to kill. Suddenly the Dad thing jumped into my mind again. This time, though, rather than the usual heartburn, I felt a calm. I felt that God was calling me to start my very own family. This was unusual for me, I couldn’t think of any other time I felt called by God. Why did God bring me way out here to tell me this? The walk was at least six miles round trip. He could have saved me sore legs and quarter-sized blisters on my feet if He had told me somewhere closer to the truck.

     Then it hit me, I was a bad listener. God simply put me somewhere I could hear Him. It took me four days of sitting alone on a hill to hear His calling. Since then I have tried to be a better listener, but I still need improvement. If what He is telling you puts you in an uncomfortable position, such as taking the role of Deacon, or writing an article for the Family Ties, pray to God to give you the courage to follow his calling. If God is telling you to do something, it can't be wrong.

     How about you? Is God calling you to be more active in church? Take on an uncomfortable role? Share God's love to someone? Can't hear God calling? Take the time to stop and LISTEN UP!

There will be no Scrapbooking/Craft Night for December. We will resume on January 16.

Dean and I would like to thank the congregation for all the kindnesses shown us over the summer and again this fall. The prayers, visits, flowers and cards have been sources of strength and blessings to us. We will try to pass these kindnesses on to others -- God bless everyone.
Eileen Heath

The Signup for the Christmas Gift Project is posted in the foyer. Please sign up for the gift(s) you would like to purchase. Fill out a slip so you know what to buy. I do not need the slips attached to your item(s) and please do not wrap your gifts. If you prefer to make a cash donation, please use one of your special giving envelopes and mark it, “Christmas Gift Project” and place it in the offering by November 30th. Let’s share our love generously as we consider our donations. Our timetable is:
     Nov 23 – Dec 7 - Sign up and gift purchases
     Nov 30 - Cash donations needed
     Dec 7 - All gifts needed at the church
Please place your gifts under the Christmas tree in the sanctuary. Any questions go to Kathy Veeneman.

As we did last year, we are not providing toys for any of the children. The Marines donated lots and lots of toys last year, and Coopersville Cares had many more than they needed. The Marines are donating toys again this year. Instead of toys, we need gift items for teenagers (ages 13-18). I have added these on the bottom of the sign up list. Some of you have asked me what to buy for the teen gifts, I have included a list of suggestions on the signup poster in the foyer. Anything else you want to buy is great too!

Just to give you a better idea of what we are trying to do…the signup list is to get a variety of sizes for both boys and girls clothing. We are not buying for specific children as we did in the past. Coopersville Cares puts all of the items donated from area churches, businesses, “Toys for Tots, and community members on display and the parents are allowed to ‘shop’ for each of their children. There are guidelines regarding how much they can ‘shop’ for. So…if you find a really good deal on something when you are shopping, you can buy several even if you didn’t sign up for it. I do not check anything in and whatever you buy will be great!

Christmas is the perfect time to order SCRIP! Use it to do your holiday shopping, use it for gift-giving, keep a few restaurant cards on hand for when you need to take a break from the mall madness and eat. It's easy and can be a great benefit to COS! SCRIP will be filled every week between November 30 and December 21, provided there are enough orders to send in.
NOTE: Steak & Shake is now available in SCRIP as well.

The Coopersville Cares Clothing Closet is in need of clothing of all types, particularly for winter. The need for warm winter clothes is critical, please check your closets for good, clean, useable things your family has outgrown and no longer uses.

The Coopersville Community Band will be presenting their Christmas Concert Saturday, December 13, at 7:30PM. The event is free of charge at the high school’s Centre Stage Theater.

From the Thursday morning Bible Study:
We are about to conclude our study of Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. It has been an exciting and challenging book to study. As we do with the mysteries of God, Rob suggests that we “have to test everything.” He wants us to probe his book, telling us not to swallow it uncritically, to think about it and wrestle with it. When we are finished studying Velvet Elvis, we will put a copy in the church library for you to test and probe.

The angels said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10 NIV

It was again obvious that the Healing Hands team to Nicaragua had the prayer support of this church family and other friends. The most exciting part of the week was at the end when we learned that 80 people had accepted the gift of Christ's salvation.

The medical part of the team treated over 1000 patients and Dr. Allen, our dentist, saw 260 patients. The eyeglasses were also very popular as well as the family pictures that were distributed. The children were happy to have games to play.

The elections while we were in Nicaragua were heated and two died in Managua as a result. There were fires set by the losers. The winners openly celebrated but our team was never threatened.

Again, thank you for holding us in prayer as we met the needs of the poorest in Central America.
Roger Luben

Just for Laughs...

One Sunday a pastor told the congregation that the church needed some extra money and asked the people to prayerfully consider giving a little extra in the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns.
After the offering plates were passed, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had placed a $1,000 bill in offering. He was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation and said he'd like to personally thank the person who placed the money in the plate.
A very quiet, elderly and saintly lady all the way in the back shyly raised her hand. The pastor asked her to come to the front. Slowly she made her way to the pastor. He told her how wonderful it was that she gave so much and in thanksgiving asked her to pick out three hymns. Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation, pointed to the three handsomest men in the building and said,
"I'll take him, and him, and him!"

During this time of Thanksgiving, Hospice of Michigan would like to honor all of the individuals and organizations that have generously and selflessly supported our mission of ensuring compassion and care to all who seek our services regardless of their diagnosis or ability or pay.
It is because we have friends like you that Hospice of Michigan is a leader in end-of-life care for thousands of people around the state. In fact, you have made many incredible things possible:
* More than 14,825 people received end-of-life medical care, grief support, spiritual care or respite care due to your generosity last year.
* With your contributions, we are able to provide care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are unique in that when a patient or family member calls in the middle of the night they will talk directly to a hospice professional – not an answering service.
* Your support has allowed us to use state-of-the-art technology to support our compassionate services. By equipping our staff with the appropriate tools, we enable our patient care staff to spend more time with patients and their families and less time on administrative tasks.
We are humbled by the generous support we receive from the communities we serve. Thank you for helping us bring hope and dignity. Thank you for alleviating the burdens of those less fortunate. And, thank you for bringing quality of life to those who need it most.

December 7 ~ Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 40:1-11
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
2 Peter 3:8-15a
Mark 1:1-8

December 14 ~ Third Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Psalm 126 or Luke 1:47-55
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28

December 21 ~ Fourth Sunday of Advent
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Luke 1:47-55 or Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

December 28 ~ First Sunday after Christmas
Isaiah 61:10-62:3
Psalm 148
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:22-40

Serving Community
East Greeters:	December 7 December 14 December 21 December 28 January 4 January 11 January 18 January 25	LVH Todd & Karla Van Houten Gert Veeneman Glenn & Kathy Veeneman Bob & Barb Veeneman Scott & Shari Veldman Kevin & Denise Wiersma Bill & Lois Adema
Coffee:	December 7 December 14 December 21 December 28 January 4 January 11 January 18 January 25	Rick & Lonnie Lillibridge Jill & Joel Spoelman Phil Luben & Keeley Heath Roger & Jeanne Luben Jim & Laura McClellan Kyle & Rachael McClellan Sue, Todd, & Deb Meindertsma Phil & Barb Metten
Nursery:	December 7 December 14 December 21 December 28 January 4 January 11 January 18 January 25	Kyle & Rachael McClellan Meindertsma family & LVH Miller & Hekhuis families Mooney family & Melissa Veldman Muller/Maxwell families Pitz family & Kathy Veeneman Richardson family Roper family & Beka Wiersma
Sound System:	December 7 December 14 December 21 December 28 January 4 January 11 January 18 January 25	Kyle McClellan Ray Tibbe Bob Veeneman David Rosel Will Rosel Kyle McClellan Ray Tibbe Bob Veeneman
Sunday School:	December 7 December 14 December 21 December 28 January 4 January 11 January 18 January 25	Lisa Kingma & Debbie Meindertsma Lisa Kingma & Debbie Meindertsma Lisa Kingma & Debbie Meindertsma Christmas Break Christmas Break Laura McClellan & Beka Wiersma Laura McClellan & Beka Wiersma Laura McClellan & Beka Wiersma
Communion Set Up:	December 7 January 4 February 1 March 1 April 5 April 9	Lois Adema Amy Pitz Mary Estrada Dave Rosel Denise Wiersma Molly Thiss (Maundy Thursday)

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