The Connections is a monthly publication of church news and events. The next one will be published on July 1. The deadline for submissions is the Tuesday before publication. Upcoming Sundays June 3 9 am: Group Prayer Time Following the Service: Council Nominees Affirmation Vote June 10 Communion Sunday Following the Service: Congreg. Meeting/Vote on Budget, New Council Member Selection June 17 Father s Day June 24 Following the Service and Coffee Time: Fellowship Lunch Kelloggsville Church 610-52nd St. SE Kentwood, MI 49548 616-534-0085 www.kcrc.org Exploring Colossians For the next two months during our worship services, we will be walking through the New Testament book of Colossians. Colossians is a leer wrien by the apostle Paul to the church in Colossae, an ancient city located in the northwestern region of Turkey. Epaphras, the founder of the church, reported to apostle Paul that his congrega"on was in conflict. Some people in the congrega"on believed that Chris"anity was just another religion, emphasizing selfdiscipline and selfdevelopment. Others believed that Chris"anity was just another mysterious spiritual ideal from a philosopher name Jesus. This was a "me when polytheism, the worship of more than one god, was common. In response to this conflict, under the inspira"on of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote a leer to the Colossians which presented the uniqueness of Christ and Chris"anity. Even though the leer was wrien nearly 2,000 years ago, the issues presented in it are s"ll relevant today. When I taught at university, it was not uncommon to hear people speaking about Chris"anity as one religion among many, and Jesus as one wise man among many. O0en I heard people talking of their belief June, 2018 that there were many ways to god. One of the reasons this belief is so prevalent in our society is due to the rise of postmodernism. Postmodernism is a movement that generally distrusts grand theories or beliefs, claiming that all metanarra"ves are bad. (which, ironically, could be called a grand theory in itself). Postmodernists think that any story, myth, religion, worldview, or philosophy that makes universal claims about reality - such as Christ is the only true way to God for all people - is bad because it oppresses someone who doesn t adhere to the same understanding. The result of postmodern thought is religious and moral pluralism, where Jesus Christ is no more important than Buddha, Muhammad, Moses, Socrates, or Shakespeare. So in the book of Colossians, we find Paul asking similar ques"ons to those being asked in our society today: Was Jesus simply another philosopher like Buddha or Socrates? Was he just a prophet like Moses or Muhammad? Was Jesus just a man gi0ed with the use of words to sway an audience like Shakespeare? Or was Jesus unique and different? These are important ques"ons, and it may surprise some of us that these ques"ons are not new. The Colossians were asking the same kinds of ques"ons around 60 AD. Continued on page 2
PAGE 2 Colossians, continued from page 1 In June and July we will be reading apostle Paul s response to the conflict in Colassae. One of the things I appreciate the most about Paul is that he strongly states the case for Christ without being arrogant about it. He simply and compellingly claims that Jesus Christ must stand above all others, supreme and peerless. No other teacher, ruler, philosopher, or prophet compares to Jesus. As a pastor, it is my greatest joy to introduce people to Jesus and help them grow as his disciples. In the book of Colossians, I find strength in Paul s convic"on about Christ s righ@ul place in the world and in our individual lives. As we study the book of Colossians together, it is my hope that Jesus will take his righ@ul place at the center of your life and help you to become a more fully devoted follower of Jesus. That is the theme of this book. Colossians 3:17 summarizes it wonderfully: Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. I invite you to memorize this verse as we journey through Colossians together. In Christ alone, -Pastor Mar!n A Thank You from Grand River Prep Moms in Prayer On Thursday mornings during this past school year, a group of 3-6 moms of Grand River Prep students (the high school next door to our church) met for an hour in the church nursery to pray. Last week, we received a thank you card from these moms. It has been a blessing to host them in our building. We con"nue to be grateful for the partnership we enjoy with Grand River Prep High School. Please con"nue to pray that God would bless our communi"es and bring us together for Christ s glory.
PAGE 3 Reflections on Community -Anthony Vander Schaaf I recently read a study repor"ng that the average person in our Western culture spends 41% of their lives in front of a screen. And that is not just the hours that we are awake: that is 41% of our en"re lives! At the same "me, only 6% of our "me is spent socializing in person with our family and friends. This shocking sta"s"c makes me cherish the Sunday evening gatherings, Explore Faith sessions, athle"c events, orchestra concerts, Thursday morning breakfasts, and informal chats I ve had with the students of our youth Special Events This Summer group all the more. It is in these types of interac"ons that we truly come together: to laugh, share a meal, pray, read scripture, and so on. All without screens. All face-to-face. When we consider our life together as a church, as believers in Christ I hope that we operate outside of the sta"s"cs I just shared. I hope we know each other so well that we can tell when another person is down and needs encouragement, hur"ng and in need of prayer, lonely and needing a companion. I hope that when we spend "me together we realize that we are not just gejng to know someone else, we are learning more about ourselves, and we are learning more about our God. Thank you for your support and love this year. As students and leaders, we have created space to learn about each other and our God. I am so grateful to have been a part of a church that creates space for youth, and values faceto-face community. As I end my "me at Kelloggsville, my prayer is that you may con"nue to help our youth and families grow more in"mately connected with each other, and with God. In Christ, Anthony Mark your calendars and plan to aend two special summer events with your church family! We will be having lunch following the church service on Sunday, June 24, and we will be having an evening potluck supper at Tunnel Park in Holland on Sunday, July 15. The goal is to have some extended "me together to simply enjoy the community of believers at Kelloggsville. These events are also opportuni"es for you to invite a friend, neighbor, or family member to come with you and experience Kelloggsville Church and the warmth of our community. We hope to see you at one or both of these special events this summer! Upcoming Birthdays to Celebrate Member Birthdays 70+ June 7 Larry Vostad June 15 Mary DeRuiter June 19 Linda Vostad June 26 Ron DeRuiter Member Birthdays 70+ July 4 Ken Vlasblom July 6 Larry DenHouten July 6 Henry Diedering (92) July 19 Steve Herrema (87) July 19 Jim Heyboer Missionary/Staff Birthdays June 10 Lee Warsen June 26 Tim Sliedrecht (July none)
So...What is Faith Formation, Exactly? -Pastor Mar"n Star"ng in the fall of 2018, our discipleship and educa"on hour for all ages will take place a0er our morning worship service. In the discussions we ve had among the members of Council, staff, and commiees, the phrase faith forma"on has come up again and again. I ve had the opportunity to reflect on that phrase, and wanted to share some of what I ve learned with you, and why it is so important in the church. Faith forma"on is a life-long, cradle-to-grave journey of transforma"on as a follower of Jesus. I really like how John Roberto describes faith forma"on in his book Genera!ons Together. He writes, Faith forma"on informs, forms, and transforms the person whether child, youth, or adult into a robust, vital, and lifegiving Chris"an faith that is holis"c: a way of the head, the heart, and the hands. The visual of head, heart, and hands I found par"cularly powerful. Our heads learn the good news that our salva"on is purely a gi0, given by Christ and accepted by faith. Ephesians 2:4-9 says: But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gi0 of God not by works, so that no one can boast. So as part of our faith forma"on, it is important to ask, how have I come to know and experience God s grace? Our hearts respond to this good news, as in 2 Timothy 3:14-17: But as for you, con"nue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salva"on through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correc"ng and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. I love the Calvin College logo, which has a picture of a heart being held by a hand, surrounded by John Calvin s words, my heart I offer to you Lord, promptly and sincerely. As part of our faith forma"on, we might ask, what pictures and words might reflect my heart s response to Jesus invita"on to live for him? Our hands serve in God s kingdom, because we respond PAGE 4 with ac"on to God s love for us. We read in James 2:26, A person s body without their spirit is dead. In the same way, faith without good deeds is dead. So as part of faith forma"on, we should ask, What does God want us as a church to actually do? How are my ac"ons reflec"ng what is taught in scripture? Consider also Roberto s list of ac"ons for followers of Jesus: they grow in their rela"onship with God for the whole of life; live as disciples of Jesus at home, at work, in community, and in the world; develop an understanding of the Bible and their faith tradi"on; deepen their spiritual life and prac"ces; engage in service and mission to the world; and parcipate in the life and ministries of their faith community. Providing opportuni"es for followers of Jesus to engage in faith forma"on is at the center of our discipleship and educa"on "me in the church. As we move this "me from Sunday evenings to Sunday mornings, I wanted to give you a few highlights of this part of our church life together: FOR KIDS -interac"ve, exci"ng curriculum -growing in faith and serving in the church alongside their peers -learning that they have an important place in the church by what they learn in the class and through special ac"vi"es. -involvement in things like Advent and Lent ac"vi"es and services Continued on page 5
PAGE 5 Faith Formation, continued from p. 4 FOR YOUTH -relevant and real studies -hanging out and building rela"onships with each other, leaders, and other adult mentors in the church -chances to serve through trips, ou"ngs, and in the church -discover where their gi0s are and how they can make a difference in the church and in the world -opportuni"es to grow in leadership through mentoring FOR ADULTS -building deeper rela"onships with each other through fellowship -faith and learning opportuni"es -ability to volunteer with children and youth, and in other areas like hospitality -a place to invite new people -an opportunity, not an obliga"on, for faith forma"on. No guilt! FOR THE CHURCH -provides faith forma"on for all ages at a "me when the most people are present -creates opportuni"es for more people to be invited to church ac"vi"es that interest them -priori"zes building rela"onships, fellowship, and discipleship -allows people whose Sundays are busy to have a break in the evenings to rest -frees up evenings to explore other opportuni"es for ministry, fellowship, and service As leaders, we also came up with a short list of ques"ons and answers that we hope will address any concerns that our members might have with this change. If you have addi"onal ques"ons, please talk to a Council or Educa"on Commiee member. How will this effect our fellowship me aer the morning worship service? At Kelloggsville we have a wonderful fellowship "me a0er worship, where people gather, hang out and connect with each other. We will con"nue to have this "me immediately following our worship services. While educa"on hour for all ages will begin at 11:00 AM in various rooms throughout the church, the Family Life Center will remain open to all who choose not to par"cipate in the classes being offered. What happens to Sunday night? On Sunday evenings we hope to explore some opportuni"es to focus on our faith in ac"on. For example, what mission opportuni"es are there for us to be involved in our community? With our nested churches? How might we create "me for Small groups to meet in each other s homes? Prac"cing inten"onal missional habits, like invi"ng our neighbors or friends to be part of our lives? Mee"ng as leaders and volunteers to strengthen the ministries and priori"es of the church? What opportunies will there be for adults? Along with op"ons similar to what is currently offered during Impact (book-of-the-bible studies, topical series, etc.), we would like to create space for things like membership classes, profession of faith classes, and missionary presenta"ons. Leadership groups (commiees, teams, leaders of ministries) could schedule mee"ngs at this "me. Short term groups could meet based on par"cular interests (money management, paren"ng, hobbies and how-to classes, etc.). And again, for those who prefer to connect informally with friends, the Family Life Center will remain open as a flexible-use space. Can children stay engaged through a worship service and an educaon me? Consider that most children are in a structured classroom sejng by age 5 for anywhere from two to seven hours a day. With the new Sunday morning format, the maximum amount of "me your child will be in church on a Sunday morning is two-and-a-half hours (9:30 AM Noon). During worship, we will con"nue to have Children s Worship (PreK 2nd), Nursery, and 2-3 Yr-Olds class. The leadership will be inten"onal about keeping worship "me and educa"on "me age appropriate, engaging, and unique. Children will not stay in the same space for the en"re "me, but will move to different rooms for worship and educa"on.
June Church Calendar SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRI/SAT 4 5 6 7 9 am: Senior Singles Breakfast JUNE 3 9:00 am: Group Prayer Time 10:45 am: Council Nominee Affirma"on Vote PAGE 6 8/9 Sat: 1:30-7pm: Non- Member WC/Foyer Rental Prayer Group Sat: 5-10 pm: Chin Choir/ Youth Group 10 Communion Sunday 10:45 am: Congrega"onal Mee"ng and Budget Vote/Council Selec"on 11 12 13 6 pm: Deacons 7 pm: Council 14 15/16 Sat: 4-10pm: French Group FLC Rental Pray-ers Sat: 6-10 pm: Chin Choir/ Youth Group 17 Father s Day 10:45 am: Explore Faith Class 12-7 pm: Member FLC Rental 18 19 7 pm: Bldg. & Grounds Commiee Mee"ng 20 7 pm: Shepherd Leaders 21 22/23 Pray-ers Sat: 5-10 pm: Chin Choir/ Youth Group 24 11:30 am: Fellowship Lunch 25 26 27 28 12 Noon: Zaycon Fresh Event 29/30 Pray-ers Sat :5-10 pm: Chin Choir/Youth Group