December 12, 2021TODAYThis Sunday Pastor Dan will continue the Advent series Songs of Christmas. His message, Angel’s Song, will be from Luke 2:8-20.
The second offering will be for Christian Education.
NEXT SUNDAY
Next Sunday Pastor Dan will continue the Advent series Songs of Christmas. His message, Simeon’s Song, will be from Luke 2:22-35.
The second offering will be for Edison Christian Life Services.
CHURCH FAMILY UPDATE
Mary Jane Timmer had a successful hip replacement surgery on Wednesday. We are grateful that things went well and she is at home recovering! Please pray for a smooth recovery.
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Did your mailbox move? We are excited that new members are coming to Westend! In order to add new names to our mailboxes, many existing names have shifted, so please look carefully when you take your mail.
If you would like to remember our shut-ins with Christmas Cards, there are decorated bags in the fellowship center for each of them that the deacons will deliver. Paper copies of the shut ins list is at the Welcome Center.
The Westend Kids Christmas program is THIS SUNDAY December 12th during the 9:45am worship service. We would like Young Fives through 5th grade students to get to church by 9:00 am. Please help your child get into their costume when they get to church. We would like kids ages 3 & 4 to get to church by 9:15. Please meet us downstairs.
Have you been financially blessed this year? Would you consider a special gift to be shared as a Christmas Blessing with those of our church family who haven’t been so fortunate? You may place donations in the offering boxes, labeling them Christmas Blessings. Thank you!
If you took a tag from the Christmas tree, the unwrapped gifts are due today! Please place all unwrapped gifts with the tag under the tree in the fellowship center
Join us for a Carols and Cocoa night TONIGHT! Join us for an informal time of fellowship as we sing carols and enjoy hot cocoa together! We will have fire pits and heaters to keep warm, please bring chairs and blankets with you. Please park in the SOUTH parking lot and walk to the NORTH side of the building.
Do you want to be a blessing during the Christmas season? Join the Hallelujah Chorus walkup choir in preparing for the Christmas Day service! We will be practicing December 19th after the service- we need at least 10 people in order to make it work this year.
Our next Community Dinner is Wednesday December 15th, and it will be a delicious, youth-sponsored Christmas ham dinner! Today the last pair of mittens made by the Christian Ed. Committee are up for silent auction. They are on display as you exit the sanctuary and are filled with wonderful surprises from the committee. Forms for bidding are in your boxes today. Thank you for your continued support of Christian Education! We will continue to accept orders for mittens through December.
Thursday evening ladies Bible study will be starting a new study January 6 at 6:30pm, and will meet the first, third and fifth Thursdays for 7 sessions. We will be using the study “Seamless” by Angie Smith, which shows how the whole Bible connects as one beautiful seamless thread. Books are $14 each. If you would like to join us or have questions, contact Faye Kragt.
Offering envelopes have been placed in your mailboxes! If you did not receive envelopes but would like them, please contact the office!
Divorce Care is a caring group of people who will walk alongside those who are experiencing one of life’s most difficult experiences. The 13-week program is a Christ centered way of navigating through the process of recovery. It includes a video series and workbook featuring experts on divorce. The cost is $15. We encourage you to invite friends or family who may be experiencing a divorce or separation to join us. The next class starts Tuesday, January 11, at 6:30pm in the Cafe at Westend Church. For more information you can email Deb Stapley, or go to divorcecare.org
YOUTH
LIFE:
Join us tonight for a fun night as we hang out outdoors with the rest of the church community starting at 6pm. We will have fire pits, s’mores & hot chocolate and sing some Christmas Carols. Hope to see you there! This Wednesday (December 15th) will be our next fundraising dinner! We will need your help as we put together a ham dinner & celebrate the Christmas season. Please contact Brian if you haven’t signed up for a work shift yet!
SPECIAL SERVICESKids Christmas Program – TODAYCarols & Cocoa – TONIGHT @ 6 PMCandlelight Service – Dec 19th @ 6 PMChristmas Worship – Dec 25th @ 9:45 AMWEEKLY PRAYER FOCUS
This week, please pray that the Westend Congregation, as “good christian friends”, will, in the words of a familiar Advent hymn, “rejoice, with heart and soul and voice” as we wait in expectation to celebrate the birth of our Lord and anticipate his coming again.
THIS WEEK
TODAY – 12/12
9:15 AM Prayer Time
9:45 AM Morning Worship
11:00 AM Discovery Hour
6:00 PM Carols & Cocoa
MONDAY –12/137:00 PM Ad Board
WEDNESDAY –12/156:30 AM Men’s Bible Study
8:00 AM Men’s Life
1:00 PM Cafe
5:30 PM Community Dinner
6:30 PM Westend Wednesday: GEMs, Cadets, Bible Study
THURSDAY –12/16
6:00 PM Kids Hope Wrap Party
NEXT SUNDAY – 12/199:15 AM Prayer Time
9:45 AM Morning Worship
11:00 AM Discovery Hour
6:00 PM Candlelight Service
VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE
TODAY, December 12th
Nursery- Lynn Bengelink
Children’s Ministry- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Coffee Servers-Jamie & Rene Mata, Mary Ouwinga
Welcome Center- Jeni Verbeek
Audio/Visual:
Slides- Andrew Rodenhouse
Sound- Ryan Faber
Video- Micah Graybill
NEXT WEEK, December 19th
Nursery- Rog & Sue Mellema
Children’s Ministry- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Coffee Servers- Bill & Karen
Welcome Center- Kathy Myers
Audio/Visual:
Slides- Ben Cleveland
Sound- Lind Vanderlaan
Video- VOLUNTEER NEEDED
FINANCIAL UPDATE
Offerings 12/5/21 wkly goals
Ministries $5,784 $12,228
Chr Ed $690 $1,308
Ways To Give
In Person: Drop your gift in one of the offering boxes
By Mail: Mail your gift to 1015 Westend Ave NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Text: Text the amount you want to give to 84321. (ex. $10 in the message field)
Online: Go to: www.westendcrc.org/giving and donate online!
Meet or Exceed
The end of the year is fast approaching and is a time of Thankfulness and Remembrance. Thankfulness and Remembrance for the gifts God has given us, most of all His Son. As we celebrate this Christmas season the Ad Board and Council ask you to prayerfully consider West End in your giving plans for the year. In the past we have given a specific dollar amount we were targeting to raise but I thought it would be more appropriate to let you know where the church could use help.
Ministry Fund: This is a fund that helps with operating the facilities, staffing and general ministry operations. Giving to this fund will help make sure we are able to meet our commitments agreed to by the congregation when it approved the budget for the 21-22 fiscal year. Last year we ended behind by about 40,000 and it would be great to meet our commitments.
Facilities Fund: Monthly our church saves money to help with potential repairs or upgrades to our church. This fund has been utilized quite a bit this last year for things like roof leaks, parking lot up keep and other miscellaneous items. There are many things other things coming that need to be addressed in our church facilities and extra funds would help greatly.- Fire suppression system maintenance/possible replacement – Remodel completion of Woman’s bathroom in the basement- Roof/ Shingle replacement – will need to be done in the near future
Christian Education Fund: This is a fund where we support the families who would like to send their kids to Christian Schools. This is an annual need that can always use funds to help.
Outreach Fund : Helping our community with programs and services that show the love of God.- Kids hope- Feeding America Truck- Benevolence needs
Youth programs – The Youth group is considering a major mission trip this summer and could use your helpTHANK YOU – for prayerfully considering an opportunity to help in whatever way that you can.
Blessed to be a Blessing!